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

Bechen, 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 Bechen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bechen in America

Bechen is the 62531st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bechen surname appeared 320 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 Bechen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bechen 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 Bechen

The surname BECHEN has its origins in Germany, where it first appeared in the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old German word 'bech,' meaning 'stream' or 'brook.' This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near a small body of water.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name BECHEN appears in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of historical documents from the region of Saxony, dating back to the year 1271. Here, a man named Heinrich BECHEN is mentioned as a landowner in the town of Altenburg.

During the Middle Ages, the BECHEN family seems to have been concentrated in the areas around Saxony and Thuringia, with various branches emerging in different towns and villages. In the 15th century, a notable member of the family was Johann BECHEN, a respected lawyer and councilor in the city of Leipzig, who lived from 1435 to 1498.

As the centuries progressed, the name BECHEN spread to other parts of Germany, with some variations in spelling occurring, such as BECHIEN, BECHIN, or BECHING. In the 17th century, a man named Hans BECHEN (1622-1691) gained recognition as a skilled painter and engraver in the city of Nuremberg.

Another prominent figure was Wilhelm BECHEN (1786-1854), a German writer and poet who was born in the town of Göttingen. He is known for his romantic and patriotic works, which reflected the cultural and political currents of his time.

In the 19th century, the name BECHEN appears in various genealogical records and local histories, often associated with occupations such as farming, craftsmanship, and small business ownership. One notable individual from this period was Karl BECHEN (1828-1891), a successful entrepreneur and industrialist from the city of Frankfurt.

While the name BECHEN has been traced back to its German roots, it is worth noting that it may have undergone further spelling variations or changes as families migrated to other parts of Europe or beyond. However, its historical significance remains tied to the regions of central Germany, where it first emerged and gained prominence over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bechen

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

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

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

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