2000
#62,961
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 297
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.11
Very Rare Last name
Beckendorf
A German surname referring to someone living by a small brook or stream.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 380 Americans carry the last name Beckendorf. That puts it at #64,820 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.11 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 901,985 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Beckendorf surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
380
1 in 901,985
Census rank
#64,820
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
331
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 331 bearers of the surname Beckendorf in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.11 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 64820th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Beckendorf, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (1.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Beckendorf
The surname Beckendorf has its origins in Germany, where it first emerged in the medieval period. It is a locational surname, derived from the place name Beckendorf, which translates to "Beck's village" or "village on the brook" in German. The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 13th century, appearing in various historical records and manuscripts from the region.
One notable early reference to the name Beckendorf can be found in the Liber Census Daniae, a Danish census from the 14th century. This document lists several individuals with the surname, suggesting that the name was well-established in northern Germany by that time. Additionally, the name appears in the Bremisches Urkundenbuch, a collection of historical documents from the city of Bremen, further attesting to its presence in the region.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Beckendorf was Johann Beckendorf, a German cleric who lived in the late 15th century. He served as the bishop of Hildesheim from 1481 to 1496 and was known for his efforts in promoting education and reforming the clergy.
In the 16th century, Hans Beckendorf, a German merchant and trader, gained prominence for his successful trading ventures across Europe. He was born in 1520 in the town of Lübeck and played a significant role in establishing trade routes between Germany and other European countries.
Another notable figure with the surname Beckendorf was Friedrich Beckendorf, a German military officer who served during the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648). He fought for the Protestant forces and was known for his strategic leadership and bravery on the battlefield.
In the realm of literature, the name Beckendorf is associated with Johann Beckendorf, a German poet and playwright who lived in the 18th century. Born in 1720 in Hamburg, he contributed significantly to the development of German dramatic literature, authoring several plays and poems that were widely acclaimed during his time.
The surname Beckendorf has also been connected to various place names across Germany, such as Beckendorf-Kolkwitz, a municipality in the state of Brandenburg, and Beckendorf, a village in Lower Saxony. These place names further reinforce the locational origins of the surname and its long-standing presence in various regions of Germany.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Beckendorf
Among Census respondents with the surname Beckendorf, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (1.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Beckendorf bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Beckendorf surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.2% · 315
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 10
- Two or more races1.2% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Beckendorf
Beckendorf appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#61,436
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 327
+30 bearers (+10.1%)
Per 100,000 0.11
Rank movement Up 1,525 places
2020
#64,820
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 331
+4 bearers (+1.2%)
Per 100,000 0.11
Rank movement Down 3,384 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #62,961 | 297 | 0.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #61,436 | 327 | 0.11 | +30 bearers (+10.1%) | Up 1,525 places |
| 2020 | #64,820 | 331 | 0.11 | +4 bearers (+1.2%) | Down 3,384 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Beckendorf surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #61,436 | #64,820 | -5.5% |
| Count | 327 | 331 | 1.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.11 | 0.11 | 0.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Beckendorf bearers went from 327 to 331 (+1.2% change). The surname moved down 3,384 positions in the national ranking, going from #61,436 to #64,820.
FAQ
Beckendorf surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Beckendorf?
Name Census estimates that about 380 living Americans carry the surname Beckendorf. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 901,985 residents.
How common is Beckendorf?
Beckendorf ranks #64,820 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.11 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 331 people with the surname Beckendorf. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (380), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.11 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.11 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Beckendorf.
Has Beckendorf become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Beckendorf went from 327 recorded bearers to 331. That is an increase of 4 (+1.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #61,436 to #64,820.
What does the Census say about the background of Beckendorf?
Among Census respondents with the surname Beckendorf, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (1.2%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Beckendorf in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.2% (315 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Beckendorf appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.2%), Hispanic (3.0%), Two or More Races (1.2%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Beckendorf (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Beckendorf mean?
A German surname referring to someone living by a small brook or stream. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Beckendorf (0.11 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Beckendorf?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Beckendorf, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.