2000
#1,648
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 19,922
First available Census row
Per 100,000 7.39
Uncommon Last name
Beal
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Béal," meaning "mouth," likely referring to a river mouth or ford.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 22,409 Americans carry the last name Beal. That puts it at #1,794 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 6.54 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 15,295 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Beal 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 Beal with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
22K
1 in 15,295
Census rank
#1,794
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
6.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
20K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 19,542 bearers of the surname Beal in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 6.54 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1794th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Beal, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.2%. The next largest groups are Black (17.4%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Beal
Among Census respondents with the surname Beal, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.2%. The next largest groups are Black (17.4%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Beal 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 Beal surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White74.2% · 14,492
- Black or African American17.4% · 3,401
- Two or more races3.7% · 732
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 684
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 120
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 113
Timeline
Historical Census data for Beal
Beal 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
#1,726
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 20,752
+830 bearers (+4.2%)
Per 100,000 7.04
Rank movement Down 78 places
2020
#1,794
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 19,542
-1,210 bearers (-5.8%)
Per 100,000 6.54
Rank movement Down 68 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,648 | 19,922 | 7.39 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,726 | 20,752 | 7.04 | +830 bearers (+4.2%) | Down 78 places |
| 2020 | #1,794 | 19,542 | 6.54 | -1,210 bearers (-5.8%) | Down 68 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 Beal 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 | #1,726 | #1,794 | -3.9% |
| Count | 20,752 | 19,542 | -5.8% |
| Per 100K | 7.04 | 6.54 | -7.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Beal bearers went from 20,752 to 19,542 (-5.8% change). The surname moved down 68 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,726 to #1,794.
FAQ
Beal surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Beal?
Name Census estimates that about 22,409 living Americans carry the surname Beal. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 15,295 residents.
How common is Beal?
Beal ranks #1,794 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 6.54 per 100,000 residents, which is about 7 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 19,542 people with the surname Beal. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (22,409), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 6.54 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 6.54 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 7 of them to have the surname Beal.
Has Beal become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Beal went from 20,752 recorded bearers to 19,542. That is a decrease of 1,210 (-5.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,726 to #1,794.
What does the Census say about the background of Beal?
Among Census respondents with the surname Beal, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.2%. The next largest groups are Black (17.4%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Beal in the 2020 Census, accounting for 74.2% (14,492 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Beal appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (74.2%), Black (17.4%), Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Beal (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 Beal mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Béal," meaning "mouth," likely referring to a river mouth or ford. 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 Beal (6.54 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 share the surname Beal?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.