Find out how popular the last name Bea is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Bea.

Bea, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Bea surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bea in America

Bea is the 27059th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bea surname appeared 895 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Bea.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bea to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Bea

The surname "Bea" has its origins in Spain and is derived from the Spanish word "bello", meaning beautiful or handsome. It is believed to have emerged as a descriptive surname in the 12th or 13th century, likely given to an individual who was considered to possess exceptional physical beauty.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Archivo General de la Nación, a Spanish national archive, where a document from 1265 mentions a certain "Pedro Bea" from the region of Aragon. This suggests that the name was already in use by that time.

In the 14th century, the surname appears in the "Libro de armería del Reino de Navarra", a heraldic record of nobility from the Kingdom of Navarre. This document lists several individuals with the surname "Bea", indicating that the name had gained some prominence among the local aristocracy.

During the 15th century, the name spread beyond Spain to other parts of Europe, particularly Italy. One notable figure from this period was Valerio Bea, an Italian humanist scholar and philosopher who lived from 1420 to 1499. He was renowned for his works on rhetoric and classical literature.

In the 16th century, the surname is found in various records from the Spanish colonial empire. For instance, a document from 1547 mentions a "Juan Bea" who was a conquistador and explorer in the Americas.

As the centuries passed, the name continued to be carried by notable individuals, such as Martín Bea (1701-1768), a Spanish painter known for his religious works, and Pedro Bea (1860-1936), a Spanish theologian and biblical scholar who was instrumental in the establishment of the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome.

Other individuals of note with the surname "Bea" include Augustín Bea (1881-1968), a German Jesuit cardinal who played a significant role in promoting interfaith dialogue during the Second Vatican Council, and José Bea (1905-1985), a Spanish philosopher and educator who made important contributions to the field of educational theory.

While the surname "Bea" is relatively uncommon in modern times, its rich history and connection to Spanish and European culture make it a fascinating example of how surnames can evolve from descriptive origins to become established family names.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bea

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Bea.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Bea was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Bea has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Bea was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Bea, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!