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

Beavers, 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 Beavers surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Beavers in America

Beavers is the 2348th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Beavers surname appeared 15,531 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Beavers.

We can also compare 2010 data for Beavers 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 Beavers

The surname BEAVERS is of English origin, deriving from an occupational name for someone who looked after beavers or traded in beaver skins. It is believed to have emerged in the 13th century, during the time when beaver pelts were a valuable commodity in England.

The name is thought to have originated in areas where beavers were found, such as the county of Worcestershire, which was known for its beaver population along the River Severn. The earliest recorded instance of the name dates back to 1273, when a William le Bevere is mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of Buckinghamshire.

In the 14th century, the surname BEAVERS appeared in various forms, including Bever, Bevere, and Beavre, reflecting the regional dialects and spelling variations of the time. One notable bearer was John Bever, a merchant from Bristol who is documented in the city's records in 1349.

During the 16th century, the name BEAVERS began to spread across England, with records showing individuals bearing the name in counties such as Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, and Somerset. One of the earliest known examples is Robert Beavers, born in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, in 1542.

In the 17th century, the name BEAVERS gained prominence with the rise of the beaver trade in North America. William BEAVERS (1602-1680), an English explorer and trader, is believed to have been one of the first Europeans to establish trade relations with the Native American tribes in the Hudson Bay area, exchanging goods for beaver pelts.

Another notable figure from this period is John BEAVERS (1624-1701), a Puritan settler who arrived in Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1638 and later became a prominent landowner and member of the colonial militia.

As the centuries progressed, the name BEAVERS continued to be associated with various professions and trades, including furriers, hatters, and tanners, all of which relied on beaver pelts. One such example is Thomas BEAVERS (1763-1828), a successful hatter from Nottinghamshire, England, who supplied hats to the British military during the Napoleonic Wars.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Beavers

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

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

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

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