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

Beal, 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 Beal surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Beal in America

Beal is the 1726th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Beal surname appeared 20,752 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 7 people would have the surname Beal.

We can also compare 2010 data for Beal 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 Beal

The surname BEAL is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to derive from the Old English word "beal," meaning "belt" or "pass," potentially referring to someone who lived near a mountain pass or belt of land.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name BEAL can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This historical record mentions a landowner named Bealus, suggesting the surname's existence in the 11th century.

The BEAL surname was particularly prevalent in the counties of Northumberland, Yorkshire, and Lincolnshire during the Middle Ages. It is believed that the name may have originated from place names such as Beall in Northumberland or Beale in Yorkshire, further cementing its English roots.

In the 13th century, a notable figure bearing the BEAL surname was Sir Henry de Beal, a knight who fought in the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Records from this period also mention a John Beal, who was a landowner in Lincolnshire in the late 1200s.

During the Tudor period, the surname BEAL gained prominence with the birth of William Beal (1504-1562), a wealthy merchant and benefactor who contributed to the construction of several churches in London. Another notable individual was Robert Beal (1601-1671), an English clergyman and scholar who served as the chaplain to King Charles I.

In the 18th century, the BEAL surname continued to be well-represented, with individuals such as Thomas Beal (1737-1801), a renowned mathematician and astronomer who contributed to the calculation of planetary orbits. Additionally, John Beal (1725-1804) was a successful businessman and philanthropist who supported various educational institutions in England.

Throughout history, the BEAL surname has also been associated with notable literary figures, including the poet and playwright Aphra Behn (1640-1689), who was born with the surname BEAL but later adopted her husband's surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Beal

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

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

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

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