2000
#9,077
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,310
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.23
Rare Last name
Beacham
A locational surname derived from any of several places in England meaning "homestead by a beach or stream."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,557 Americans carry the last name Beacham. That puts it at #9,938 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 96,361 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Beacham 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 Beacham with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.6K
1 in 96,361
Census rank
#9,938
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,102 bearers of the surname Beacham in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9938th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Beacham, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.2%. The next largest groups are Black (25.2%) and Two or More Races (5.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Beacham
The surname Beacham is believed to have originated from the Old English words "bēac" meaning stream or brook, and "ham" meaning homestead or village. This suggests that the name likely originated in England, referring to someone who lived near a stream or in a village with a stream running through it.
The earliest known recorded instance of the name Beacham dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Becham" in Oxfordshire. This entry suggests that the name was already established in England by the late 11th century.
In the 13th century, variations of the name such as "Becheham" and "Bekham" can be found in various historical records and documents from counties like Berkshire and Wiltshire. These variations likely stemmed from different regional dialects and pronunciations of the name.
One notable historical figure with the surname Beacham was Sir John Beacham (1556-1624), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Berkshire in the early 17th century.
Another prominent individual was William Beacham (1670-1741), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Somerset, who was instrumental in the development of the town of Frome during the 18th century.
In the 19th century, the name Beacham was particularly prevalent in the county of Gloucestershire, with several families of that name residing in villages such as Avening and Nailsworth. One notable individual from this period was John Beacham (1815-1892), a notable architect and builder responsible for numerous churches and public buildings in the region.
Moving into the 20th century, the name Beacham gained some literary recognition with the author Stella Beacham (1908-1988), whose novels and short stories often explored themes of rural life and the English countryside.
Another noteworthy figure was Sir Arnold Beacham (1923-2002), a prominent British businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to various charitable organizations and educational institutions.
Overall, the surname Beacham has a rich history deeply rooted in the English countryside and villages, with its origins dating back to the 11th century and beyond. While the name may have evolved in spelling over the centuries, its connection to streams and homesteads has remained a consistent theme throughout its long and fascinating history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Beacham
Among Census respondents with the surname Beacham, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.2%. The next largest groups are Black (25.2%) and Two or More Races (5.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Beacham 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 Beacham surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White65.2% · 2,023
- Black or African American25.2% · 783
- Two or more races5.4% · 167
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 94
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 24
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Beacham
Beacham 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
#9,570
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,396
+86 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 1.15
Rank movement Down 493 places
2020
#9,938
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,102
-294 bearers (-8.7%)
Per 100,000 1.04
Rank movement Down 368 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,077 | 3,310 | 1.23 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,570 | 3,396 | 1.15 | +86 bearers (+2.6%) | Down 493 places |
| 2020 | #9,938 | 3,102 | 1.04 | -294 bearers (-8.7%) | Down 368 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 Beacham 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 | #9,570 | #9,938 | -3.8% |
| Count | 3,396 | 3,102 | -8.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.15 | 1.04 | -9.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Beacham bearers went from 3,396 to 3,102 (-8.7% change). The surname moved down 368 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,570 to #9,938.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Beacham
FAQ
Beacham surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Beacham?
Name Census estimates that about 3,557 living Americans carry the surname Beacham. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 96,361 residents.
How common is Beacham?
Beacham ranks #9,938 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,102 people with the surname Beacham. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,557), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Beacham.
Has Beacham become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Beacham went from 3,396 recorded bearers to 3,102. That is a decrease of 294 (-8.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,570 to #9,938.
What does the Census say about the background of Beacham?
Among Census respondents with the surname Beacham, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.2%. The next largest groups are Black (25.2%) and Two or More Races (5.4%). 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 Beacham in the 2020 Census, accounting for 65.2% (2,023 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Beacham appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (65.2%), Black (25.2%), Two or More Races (5.4%). 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 Beacham (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 Beacham mean?
A locational surname derived from any of several places in England meaning "homestead by a beach or stream." 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 Beacham (1.04 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 Beacham?
Find out how many people are called Beacham on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.