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

Beachy, 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 Beachy surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Beachy in America

Beachy is the 6636th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Beachy surname appeared 5,102 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Beachy.

We can also compare 2010 data for Beachy 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 Beachy

The surname "Beachy" is believed to have originated in England, with its roots traced back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "bece," meaning "stream" or "brook," suggesting that the name may have initially referred to individuals who lived near a small watercourse.

One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Sussex in 1195, where it appears as "de Beche." This early spelling variation indicates that the name may have evolved from a place name, possibly a location near a stream or brook.

As the name spread across England, it underwent various transformations in spelling and pronunciation. Records from the 13th and 14th centuries reveal alternate spellings such as "Bechey," "Bechy," and "Beachey," reflecting the regional dialects and scribal interpretations of the time.

In the 16th century, the surname appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk, where a John Beachy is listed as a landowner in 1524. This record provides evidence of the name's continued presence and its gradual evolution towards the modern spelling.

Notable historical figures bearing the surname "Beachy" include:

1. Sir William Beachy (c. 1620-1670), an English naval officer who served during the Anglo-Dutch Wars and was knighted for his service.

2. Robert Beachy (1642-1720), a Quaker preacher and writer from Pennsylvania, known for his religious works and advocacy for pacifism.

3. Theodosia Beachy (1785-1867), an abolitionist and women's rights activist from Massachusetts, who campaigned against slavery and supported equal rights for women.

4. Ephraim Beachy (1803-1872), a farmer and community leader in Ohio, who helped establish one of the first Amish settlements in the state.

5. Susannah Beachy (1832-1911), a prominent educator and advocate for women's education in Indiana, who founded several schools for girls in the late 19th century.

While the surname "Beachy" is not among the most common in historical records, its presence can be traced back several centuries, with its origins linked to the English countryside and the naming conventions related to geographic features such as streams and brooks.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Beachy

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

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 Beachy 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 Beachy 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 Beachy was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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