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

Becht, 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 Becht surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Becht in America

Becht is the 21057th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Becht surname appeared 1,248 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 Becht.

We can also compare 2010 data for Becht 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 Becht

The surname Becht is of German origin, with its roots traced back to the Middle Ages. This name is believed to have originated in the regions of Bavaria and Württemberg, where it was likely derived from an old German word "Beche," meaning "brook" or "stream."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Becht can be found in the Württemberg Urbaren, a collection of medieval land records dating back to the 13th century. In these records, variations of the name, such as "Bechter" and "Bechten," appear, indicating its presence in the region during that time.

The name Becht is also linked to several place names in Germany, such as Bechtheim, a town in Rhineland-Palatinate, and Bechtolsheim, a municipality in Bavaria. These place names might have influenced the surname's formation or vice versa, reflecting the strong connection between surnames and geographic locations in German naming traditions.

In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the surname Becht was Johann Becht (1550-1618), a German Protestant theologian and reformer from Württemberg. He was a prominent figure in the Lutheran church and played a significant role in shaping the religious landscape of his time.

Another historical figure of note was Johann Philipp Becht (1638-1717), a German composer and organist from Darmstadt. He is known for his contributions to church music and his works for organ and harpsichord.

In the 19th century, Carl Becht (1804-1853) was a German painter and lithographer from Nuremberg. He is particularly known for his landscapes and architectural paintings, which captured the beauty of German cities and countryside.

The surname Becht also found its way to other parts of Europe and beyond. One notable example is Joachim Becht (1778-1840), a German-born American farmer and soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War.

Throughout the centuries, the surname Becht has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including artists, musicians, theologians, and soldiers, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who bear this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Becht

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!