2000
#1,071
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 29,940
First available Census row
Per 100,000 11.10
Uncommon Last name
Beach
An English toponymic surname referring to someone who lived on or near a beach, sandy shore, or riverbank.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 34,207 Americans carry the last name Beach. That puts it at #1,155 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 9.98 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 10,020 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Beach surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Beach with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
34K
1 in 10,020
Census rank
#1,155
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
10.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
30K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 29,830 bearers of the surname Beach in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 9.98 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1155th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Beach, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.9%. The next largest groups are Black (4.9%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Beach
The surname Beach is of Anglo-Saxon origin, originating in England during the early medieval period. It is a locational name derived from the Old English word "bece," which means a stream or brook. The name was initially given to those who lived near a stream or brook, with the earliest recorded instances of the name appearing in the Domesday Book of 1086.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Beach was Roger de la Beche, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1165. The surname also appears in various other medieval records, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it is spelled as "Atte Beche."
In the 14th century, the surname Beach was found in various parts of England, including Somerset, Gloucestershire, and Hampshire. One notable individual from this period was Sir John de la Beche, a knight who served as Lord Lieutenant of Somerset and Dorset during the reign of King Edward III (1312-1377).
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Beach became more widespread, with several variations in spelling, including Beche, Bech, and Beache. One prominent figure from this era was William Beach (1558-1637), an English clergyman and theologian who served as the Archdeacon of Stow.
In the 18th century, the surname Beach was found in various parts of England, as well as in the American colonies. One notable individual was John Beach (1700-1782), an Anglican clergyman in Connecticut who became a prominent figure in the American Episcopal Church.
The 19th century saw several notable individuals with the surname Beach, including Sir Michael Edward Hicks Beach (1837-1916), a British politician who served as Chancellor of the Exchequer and Secretary of State for War. Another prominent figure was Moses Yale Beach (1800-1868), an American inventor and publisher who established the New York Sun newspaper.
Throughout history, the surname Beach has been associated with various notable individuals across various fields, including politics, religion, literature, and science. While the name originated in England as a locational surname, it has since become widespread and can be found in many parts of the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Beach
Among Census respondents with the surname Beach, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.9%. The next largest groups are Black (4.9%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Beach bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Beach surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.9% · 25,624
- Black or African American4.9% · 1,455
- Two or more races4.2% · 1,266
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 1,029
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 235
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 221
Timeline
Historical Census data for Beach
Beach appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#1,137
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 30,867
+927 bearers (+3.1%)
Per 100,000 10.46
Rank movement Down 66 places
2020
#1,155
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 29,830
-1,037 bearers (-3.4%)
Per 100,000 9.98
Rank movement Down 18 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,071 | 29,940 | 11.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,137 | 30,867 | 10.46 | +927 bearers (+3.1%) | Down 66 places |
| 2020 | #1,155 | 29,830 | 9.98 | -1,037 bearers (-3.4%) | Down 18 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Beach surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,137 | #1,155 | -1.6% |
| Count | 30,867 | 29,830 | -3.4% |
| Per 100K | 10.46 | 9.98 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Beach bearers went from 30,867 to 29,830 (-3.4% change). The surname moved down 18 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,137 to #1,155.
FAQ
Beach surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Beach?
Name Census estimates that about 34,207 living Americans carry the surname Beach. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 10,020 residents.
How common is Beach?
Beach ranks #1,155 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 9.98 per 100,000 residents, which is about 10 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 29,830 people with the surname Beach. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (34,207), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 9.98 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 9.98 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 10 of them to have the surname Beach.
Has Beach become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Beach went from 30,867 recorded bearers to 29,830. That is a decrease of 1,037 (-3.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,137 to #1,155.
What does the Census say about the background of Beach?
Among Census respondents with the surname Beach, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.9%. The next largest groups are Black (4.9%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Beach in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.9% (25,624 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Beach appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.9%), Black (4.9%), Two or More Races (4.2%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Beach (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Beach mean?
An English toponymic surname referring to someone who lived on or near a beach, sandy shore, or riverbank. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Beach (9.98 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Beach?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Beach on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.