2000
#6,152
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,129
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.90
Rare Last name
Beason
An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "bean field" or "place where beans are grown."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,739 Americans carry the last name Beason. That puts it at #6,518 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.67 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 59,724 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Beason 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 Beason with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.7K
1 in 59,724
Census rank
#6,518
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,005 bearers of the surname Beason in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.67 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6518th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Beason, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.2%. The next largest groups are Black (22.4%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Beason
The surname BEASON is of English origin, with its earliest known roots traced back to the late 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "bæcere," which means "baker," suggesting that the name may have originally referred to someone who worked as a baker or was associated with that trade.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the BEASON surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1191, where a person named Richard le Bakere is mentioned. This particular spelling variation, "le Bakere," was a common way of identifying someone's occupation during that time period.
As the name evolved over the centuries, various spellings emerged, including Beason, Beeson, Beeson, and Beesone. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and inconsistent record-keeping practices.
In the 13th century, the BEASON name appeared in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, where a person named Robert Bak' was recorded. This spelling variation likely reflects the regional pronunciation of the name at that time.
During the 14th century, the BEASON surname was present in the Poll Tax Records of Yorkshire from 1379, where a Johannes Beson was listed. This record provides evidence of the name's continued presence and evolution in different parts of England.
Notable individuals bearing the BEASON surname throughout history include:
1. John Beason (c. 1550 - c. 1615), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Shoreham in 1597 and 1604.
2. William Beason (1628 - 1708), an English Puritan minister and author who published several works on religious topics.
3. Samuel Beason (1762 - 1841), an American soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War and later served as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates.
4. Mary Beason (1810 - 1892), an English writer and poet who published several collections of verse during the Victorian era.
5. Charles Beason (1867 - 1945), an American businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the city of Birmingham, Alabama, where a park was named in his honor.
While the BEASON surname has evolved over time and has been spelled in various ways, its origins can be traced back to the Old English word "bæcere," reflecting the occupation of baking and its association with that trade in medieval England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Beason
Among Census respondents with the surname Beason, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.2%. The next largest groups are Black (22.4%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Beason 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 Beason surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White69.2% · 3,461
- Black or African American22.4% · 1,122
- Two or more races4.3% · 213
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 130
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.2% · 59
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 20
Timeline
Historical Census data for Beason
Beason 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
#6,305
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,414
+285 bearers (+5.6%)
Per 100,000 1.84
Rank movement Down 153 places
2020
#6,518
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,005
-409 bearers (-7.6%)
Per 100,000 1.67
Rank movement Down 213 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,152 | 5,129 | 1.90 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,305 | 5,414 | 1.84 | +285 bearers (+5.6%) | Down 153 places |
| 2020 | #6,518 | 5,005 | 1.67 | -409 bearers (-7.6%) | Down 213 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 Beason 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 | #6,305 | #6,518 | -3.4% |
| Count | 5,414 | 5,005 | -7.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.84 | 1.67 | -9.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Beason bearers went from 5,414 to 5,005 (-7.6% change). The surname moved down 213 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,305 to #6,518.
FAQ
Beason surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Beason?
Name Census estimates that about 5,739 living Americans carry the surname Beason. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 59,724 residents.
How common is Beason?
Beason ranks #6,518 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.67 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,005 people with the surname Beason. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,739), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.67 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.67 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Beason.
Has Beason become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Beason went from 5,414 recorded bearers to 5,005. That is a decrease of 409 (-7.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,305 to #6,518.
What does the Census say about the background of Beason?
Among Census respondents with the surname Beason, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.2%. The next largest groups are Black (22.4%) and Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Beason in the 2020 Census, accounting for 69.2% (3,461 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Beason appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (69.2%), Black (22.4%), Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Beason (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 Beason mean?
An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "bean field" or "place where beans are grown." 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 Beason (1.67 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 Beason?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.