2000
#111,119
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 147
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Beachman
An English occupational surname referring to someone who lived or worked near a beach.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 115 Americans carry the last name Beachman. That puts it at #155,682 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,980,473 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Beachman 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.
Bearers in the US
115
1 in 2,980,473
Census rank
#155,682
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
100
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 100 bearers of the surname Beachman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155682nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Beachman, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.0%. The next largest groups are Black (17.0%) and Two or More Races (5.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Beachman
The surname Beachman originated in England during the late medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words 'bæc' meaning 'back' or 'ridge,' and 'mann' meaning 'man.' This suggests that the name likely referred to someone who lived near a ridge or hill.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk from 1199, where a Robert Bacheman is mentioned. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also contain an entry for a William Bacheman in Oxfordshire.
The Beachman surname is believed to have evolved from various spellings such as Bacheman, Bakeman, and Backman before settling into its modern form. These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and the inconsistencies in spelling and record-keeping during the Middle Ages.
In the 14th century, the Beachman name appears in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, which document a Hugh Bacheman who held land in the area. This suggests that the family may have had ties to the region at that time.
One notable figure in history with the Beachman surname was Sir Robert Beachman (1556-1627), a wealthy merchant and alderman in the City of London. He served as the Lord Mayor of London from 1621 to 1622.
Another individual of note was John Beachman (1688-1753), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Hillingdon in Middlesex. He published several works on theology and religious topics during his lifetime.
In the 18th century, a Samuel Beachman (1732-1808) gained prominence as a successful businessman and landowner in Bedfordshire. Records indicate that he owned significant property and land holdings in the area.
The 19th century saw the birth of William Beachman (1832-1901), a noted architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Church of St. Michael and All Angels in Croydon.
Finally, one of the more recent historical figures with the Beachman surname was Elizabeth Beachman (1898-1986), a British artist and illustrator known for her contributions to children's literature and her work for the Oxford University Press.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Beachman
Among Census respondents with the surname Beachman, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.0%. The next largest groups are Black (17.0%) and Two or More Races (5.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Beachman 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 Beachman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White71.0% · 71
- Black or African American17.0% · 17
- Two or more races5.0% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.0% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Beachman
Beachman 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
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-32 bearers (-21.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 33,022 places
2020
#155,682
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-15 bearers (-13.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 11,541 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #111,119 | 147 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | -32 bearers (-21.8%) | Down 33,022 places |
| 2020 | #155,682 | 100 | 0.03 | -15 bearers (-13.0%) | Down 11,541 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 Beachman 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 | #144,141 | #155,682 | -8.0% |
| Count | 115 | 100 | -13.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -16.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Beachman bearers went from 115 to 100 (-13.0% change). The surname moved down 11,541 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #155,682.
FAQ
Beachman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Beachman?
Name Census estimates that about 115 living Americans carry the surname Beachman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,980,473 residents.
How common is Beachman?
Beachman ranks #155,682 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 100 people with the surname Beachman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (115), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Beachman.
Has Beachman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Beachman went from 115 recorded bearers to 100. That is a decrease of 15 (-13.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #144,141 to #155,682.
What does the Census say about the background of Beachman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Beachman, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.0%. The next largest groups are Black (17.0%) and Two or More Races (5.0%). 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 Beachman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 71.0% (71 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Beachman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (71.0%), Black (17.0%), Two or More Races (5.0%). 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 Beachman (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 Beachman mean?
An English occupational surname referring to someone who lived or worked near a beach. 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 Beachman (0.03 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 many people have the last name Beachman?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Beachman at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.