2000
#121,780
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 131
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Bealle
A variant spelling of the English surname Bell or Belle meaning the beautiful one.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Bealle. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bealle 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Bealle in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bealle, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.9%. The next largest groups are Black (15.7%) and Hispanic (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bealle
The surname Bealle is of English origin, with its roots dating back to the 11th century. It is derived from the Old English word "beal," which means "bole" or "tree trunk." This suggests that the name may have been associated with individuals who lived near or worked with trees, perhaps as foresters or woodsmen.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Bealle surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Beala" in the county of Yorkshire. This ancient record provides valuable insight into the distribution and prevalence of the name during the Norman conquest of England.
During the medieval period, the name underwent various spelling variations, including Beall, Bealle, Beal, and Beale. These variations reflect the regional dialects and linguistic changes that occurred over time.
Historically, the Bealle surname has been concentrated in the northern counties of England, particularly Yorkshire and Lancashire. Some notable individuals bearing this surname include:
1. William Bealle (c. 1605-1677), an English colonist who settled in Virginia and served as a member of the House of Burgesses.
2. John Bealle (1603-1666), an English-born Puritan minister who emigrated to New England and became one of the founders of Hingham, Massachusetts.
3. Mary Bealle (c. 1632-1717), an English midwife and herbalist who practiced in the colony of Maryland.
4. Thomas Bealle (c. 1670-1737), a wealthy landowner and planter in Prince George's County, Maryland, known for his involvement in local politics.
5. Decimus Bealle (1742-1803), an American Revolutionary War soldier and surveyor who played a role in the establishment of the District of Columbia.
Throughout its history, the Bealle surname has been associated with various place names, such as Bealle's Creek in Virginia, named after the early colonial settler William Bealle, and Bealle's Delight, a historic plantation in Maryland.
While the Bealle surname may not be as widespread as some other English surnames, it has a rich and diverse history, reflecting the lives and contributions of individuals who bore this name throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bealle
Among Census respondents with the surname Bealle, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.9%. The next largest groups are Black (15.7%) and Hispanic (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Bealle 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 Bealle surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White76.9% · 83
- Black or African American15.7% · 17
- Hispanic or Latino4.6% · 5
- Two or more races2.8% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bealle
Bealle 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
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-11 bearers (-8.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 17,448 places
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-12 bearers (-10.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,707 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #121,780 | 131 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | -11 bearers (-8.4%) | Down 17,448 places |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | -12 bearers (-10.0%) | Down 11,707 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 Bealle 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 | #139,228 | #150,935 | -8.4% |
| Count | 120 | 108 | -10.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bealle bearers went from 120 to 108 (-10.0% change). The surname moved down 11,707 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #150,935.
FAQ
Bealle surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bealle?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Bealle. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Bealle?
Bealle ranks #150,935 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 108 people with the surname Bealle. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Bealle.
Has Bealle become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bealle went from 120 recorded bearers to 108. That is a decrease of 12 (-10.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #139,228 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Bealle?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bealle, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.9%. The next largest groups are Black (15.7%) and Hispanic (4.6%). 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 Bealle in the 2020 Census, accounting for 76.9% (83 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bealle appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (76.9%), Black (15.7%), Hispanic (4.6%). 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 Bealle (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 Bealle mean?
A variant spelling of the English surname Bell or Belle meaning the beautiful one. 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 Bealle (0.04 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 many people are called Bealle?
You can see how common the surname Bealle is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.