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

Beck, 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 Beck surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Beck in America

Beck is the 328th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Beck surname appeared 93,786 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 32 people would have the surname Beck.

We can also compare 2010 data for Beck 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 Beck

The Beck surname has its origins in England and Germany, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 11th century. The name is derived from the Old English word "bæcc" or the Old German word "bach," both meaning "stream" or "brook." It was likely initially given as a topographic surname to someone who lived near a small stream or rivulet.

In England, the Beck surname is found in records such as the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Bec" and "Becc." The earliest known bearer of the name was Ranulf de Bec, who lived in Lincolnshire in the late 11th century.

In Germany, the Beck surname was particularly prevalent in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony. One of the earliest recorded instances was Heinricus Beck, who was mentioned in a document from Mühlhausen, Saxony, in 1236.

Notable people with the Beck surname throughout history include the German painter and printmaker Lucas Cranach the Elder (c. 1472-1553), whose original surname was Beck. Another famous bearer was the English composer and organist John Beck (c. 1585-1626), who served as the organist and composer of the Chapel Royal under King James I.

In the 17th century, the Beck surname was associated with several prominent figures in England. These include the parliamentarian and lawyer Sir Robert Beck (1588-1661) and the theologian and philosopher Andrew Beck (1597-1654).

During the 18th century, the Beck surname was carried by the English naturalist and writer Thomas Beck (c. 1720-1798), who published works on natural history and agriculture. Another notable bearer was the German philosopher and author Jakob Sigismund Beck (1761-1840), who was a follower of Immanuel Kant's philosophy.

In the 19th century, the Beck name was associated with several influential individuals, such as the German composer and music teacher Johann Heinrich Beck (1796-1857) and the American politician and lawyer James Burnie Beck (1822-1909), who served as a U.S. Senator from Kentucky.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Beck

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

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

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

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