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

Beckendorf, 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 Beckendorf surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Beckendorf in America

Beckendorf is the 61436th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Beckendorf surname appeared 327 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 Beckendorf.

We can also compare 2010 data for Beckendorf 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 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 Additionally, the name appears in the Bremisches Urkundenbuch, a collection of historical documents from the city of Bremen, further attesting to its presence in the region.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.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Beckendorf

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

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

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

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