2000
#6,034
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,247
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.95
Rare Last name
Beckley
A locational surname referring to someone from any of the various places named Beckley in England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,823 Americans carry the last name Beckley. That puts it at #6,438 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.70 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 58,862 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Beckley 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Beckley with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.8K
1 in 58,862
Census rank
#6,438
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,078 bearers of the surname Beckley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.70 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6438th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Beckley, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.4%. The next largest groups are Black (14.3%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Beckley
The surname Beckley is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from a place name, with the earliest known records dating back to the 11th century.
One of the earliest references to the name can be found in the renowned Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Beccelei" in Oxfordshire. This suggests that the name originated from a locality or settlement bearing a similar name, possibly derived from the Old English words "becca" meaning brook or stream, and "leah" meaning woodland or clearing.
During the 12th and 13th centuries, various spellings of the name emerged, including "Beckele," "Beckeleg," and "Beckelegh," reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions of the time.
Historically, the Beckley surname has been associated with several notable individuals, such as Sir John Beckley (1536-1612), an English merchant and Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another noteworthy figure was William Beckley (1759-1828), an American politician who served as the first Librarian of Congress and as the second Clerk of the United States House of Representatives.
The name also appeared in various records and documents throughout the centuries, including the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1310, which mentions a "William de Beckele," and the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, listing a "John de Beckeley."
In the 16th century, the surname was found in various parts of England, with records indicating families bearing the name in Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, and Sussex, among other regions.
Among other notable individuals with the Beckley surname were Robert Beckley (1685-1743), an English clergyman and author, and John Beckley (1757-1807), an American politician who served as the first Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and as the second Librarian of Congress.
Throughout its history, the Beckley surname has maintained its connection to its English origins, reflecting the rich tapestry of place names and local settlements that contributed to the development of surnames in the medieval period.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Beckley
Among Census respondents with the surname Beckley, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.4%. The next largest groups are Black (14.3%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Beckley 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 Beckley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White76.4% · 3,879
- Black or African American14.3% · 726
- Two or more races4.7% · 241
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 171
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 38
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 23
Timeline
Historical Census data for Beckley
Beckley 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
#6,291
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,429
+182 bearers (+3.5%)
Per 100,000 1.84
Rank movement Down 257 places
2020
#6,438
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,078
-351 bearers (-6.5%)
Per 100,000 1.70
Rank movement Down 147 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,034 | 5,247 | 1.95 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,291 | 5,429 | 1.84 | +182 bearers (+3.5%) | Down 257 places |
| 2020 | #6,438 | 5,078 | 1.70 | -351 bearers (-6.5%) | Down 147 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 Beckley 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 | #6,291 | #6,438 | -2.3% |
| Count | 5,429 | 5,078 | -6.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.84 | 1.70 | -7.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Beckley bearers went from 5,429 to 5,078 (-6.5% change). The surname moved down 147 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,291 to #6,438.
FAQ
Beckley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Beckley?
Name Census estimates that about 5,823 living Americans carry the surname Beckley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 58,862 residents.
How common is Beckley?
Beckley ranks #6,438 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.70 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,078 people with the surname Beckley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,823), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.7 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.70 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Beckley.
Has Beckley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Beckley went from 5,429 recorded bearers to 5,078. That is a decrease of 351 (-6.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,291 to #6,438.
What does the Census say about the background of Beckley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Beckley, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.4%. The next largest groups are Black (14.3%) and Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Beckley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 76.4% (3,879 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Beckley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (76.4%), Black (14.3%), Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Beckley (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 Beckley mean?
A locational surname referring to someone from any of the various places named Beckley in England. 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 Beckley (1.70 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 common is the surname Beckley?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Beckley at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.