Beda
A feminine German name meaning "prosperous" or "flourishing".
Name Census estimates that about 10 living Americans carry the first name Beda. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Beda today is around 101 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Beda births was 1918 (14 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Beda. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Beda is about 101 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Bedas were born before 1935.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Beda. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
10
~ 1 in 34,275,434 Americans
Peak year
1918
14 babies that year
Average age
101
years old
1940 SSA rank
#3,234
Tracked since 1884
Popularity
Beda: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Beda from the 1880s through to the 1940s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1890s, with 84 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1890s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Beda by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Beda during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Beda
The name Beda is derived from the Old English language and has its origins in the Anglo-Saxon era of Britain. It is believed to be a shortened form of the Germanic name Biedohæd, which means "one who bids or prays". The name Beda was particularly popular among the monasteries and religious communities of Anglo-Saxon England.
One of the most notable historical figures to bear the name Beda was the Venerable Bede, a renowned English monk and scholar who lived from 672 to 735 AD. He is best known for his extensive writings on the history of the English people and the Church, including his masterpiece "Ecclesiastical History of the English People". Bede is often referred to as the "Father of English History" and is considered a leading intellectual figure of the Middle Ages.
Another prominent individual named Beda was Beda Venerabilis, a Benedictine monk and theologian who lived from around 673 to 735 AD. He was a close contemporary of the Venerable Bede and is sometimes confused with him due to their similar names and overlapping lifetimes. Beda Venerabilis was known for his contributions to the study of biblical exegesis and his commentary on the Book of Genesis.
In the 9th century, there was a Frankish monk and scholar named Beda the Grammarian, who lived from around 770 to 825 AD. He is credited with writing a comprehensive treatise on grammar and orthography, which was widely used in medieval Europe.
During the 12th century, there was a German theologian and philosopher named Beda Adze, who was born around 1120 and died in 1198. He is known for his writings on metaphysics and his contributions to the development of scholastic philosophy.
In the 15th century, there was an Italian humanist and scholar named Beda Valla, who lived from around 1405 to 1463. He was a notable figure in the Renaissance period and is remembered for his criticisms of the Latin Vulgate Bible and his advocacy for a more accurate translation based on the original Greek and Hebrew texts.
While the name Beda has its roots in the Anglo-Saxon period, it has continued to be used throughout history, albeit less frequently in modern times. The name carries a sense of reverence and intellectual pursuit, reflecting the scholarly and religious associations of some of its most notable bearers.
People
Beda + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Beda as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with B
Other first names starting with B with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Beda: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Beda?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 10 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Beda going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 34,275,434 US residents.
Is Beda a common name?
We classify Beda as "Very Rare". It ranks above 28.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 328 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Beda most popular?
The single biggest year for Beda was 1918, when 14 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Beda is about 101 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Beda a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Beda in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.