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

Beary, 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 Beary surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Beary in America

Beary is the 33596th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Beary surname appeared 678 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Beary.

We can also compare 2010 data for Beary 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 Beary

The surname BEARY is of English origin, deriving from the Old English word "bera", meaning "bear". It is believed to have originated in the medieval period, primarily in the southern counties of England.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname BEARY can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, dating back to 1273, where it appears as "William le Bere". This variation suggests that the name was originally an occupational surname, referring to someone who worked with bears or had some association with these animals.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the surname BEARY appeared in various spellings, such as Bery, Berye, and Beare, reflecting the fluid nature of surname spelling in that era. It is also possible that the name had ties to certain place names, like Berry Pomeroy in Devon or Berry Hill in Worcestershire.

Notable historical figures bearing the BEARY surname include Sir John Beary (c. 1545-1625), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Somerset. Another prominent individual was Richard Beary (1607-1670), an English clergyman and author who published several theological works.

In the 17th century, the name appears in various records, such as the Hearth Tax Rolls of 1662, where a John Beary is listed as a resident of Gloucestershire. The parish registers of St. Dunstan's in Stepney, London, also mention a marriage between William Beary and Elizabeth Harwood in 1692.

During the 18th century, the BEARY surname continued to be present across various regions of England. One noteworthy individual from this period was Thomas Beary (1732-1800), an English painter and engraver known for his landscape paintings and prints.

In the 19th century, the BEARY surname gained further prominence with individuals like Admiral Sir Michael Beary (1836-1901), a highly decorated British naval officer who served in the Crimean War and the Second Opium War. Another notable figure was James Beary (1845-1920), an Irish-born American politician who served as the Mayor of Boston from 1898 to 1900.

While the surname BEARY may have evolved from its original occupational roots, it has since become a well-established surname in various parts of the English-speaking world, with a rich history and notable bearers throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Beary

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

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

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

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