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

Becher, 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 Becher surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Becher in America

Becher is the 12444th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Becher surname appeared 2,496 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Becher.

We can also compare 2010 data for Becher 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 Becher

The surname Becher is of German origin, derived from the Middle High German word "becker," which means "baker." It emerged in the late medieval period as an occupational name for those who baked bread for a living.

The name is first recorded in the 13th century, appearing in various German town and village records. One of the earliest known bearers was Heinrich der Becker, mentioned in the Cologne municipal archives in 1275.

In the 14th century, the name is found in the Biberach tax rolls of 1347, which list a Cunrat Becker among the town's residents. The Becher spelling variation appears in the 1384 records of the city of Nuremberg, with the entry of a Johannes Becher.

During the 15th century, the name spread across German-speaking regions as a result of migration and trade. In 1421, a Hanns Becher is recorded as a citizen of Augsburg, while in 1489, a Hans Becher is mentioned in the records of the city of Ulm.

The Becher surname is also found in various medieval German literary works and chronicles. The 14th-century writer and poet Heinrich der Becher, born around 1300 in Meissen, is one of the earliest notable individuals with this name.

Over the centuries, several prominent figures have borne the Becher surname. Johann Joachim Becher (1635-1682) was a German physician and writer who made important contributions to the fields of chemistry and economics. Johann Philipp Becker (1809-1886) was a German revolutionary and advocate of workers' rights.

Other notable Bechers include the German poet and playwright Johannes R. Becher (1891-1958), the British chemist Sir Samuel Becher (1770-1854), and the American architect and designer Walter V. Becher (1909-1987).

As the surname spread beyond German-speaking regions, it underwent various spelling variations such as Becker, Bacher, and Bakker, reflecting local linguistic influences and adaptations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Becher

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

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

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

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