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

Beckman, 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 Beckman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Beckman in America

Beckman is the 2412th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Beckman surname appeared 15,045 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Beckman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Beckman 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 Beckman

The surname Beckman has its origins in Germany, where it first emerged in the late Middle Ages, around the 13th or 14th century. It is derived from the Old German words "beck," meaning a stream or brook, and "man," signifying a person or individual. The name likely referred to someone who lived near a small stream or brook, indicating their place of residence or occupation.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Beckman surname can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of historical documents from Saxony, dating back to the 13th century. In this record, a certain "Johannes Beckman" is mentioned as a witness to a land transaction in the town of Meissen, in present-day eastern Germany.

During the medieval period, surnames were often based on geographic locations, occupations, or personal characteristics. The Beckman name may have originated as a descriptive surname for someone who lived near a stream or worked as a miller or fisherman in a stream-related occupation.

In the 16th century, the Beckman surname appears in several historical records, including the Reichskammergericht (Imperial Chamber Court) records from the Holy Roman Empire. One notable individual from this time was Hans Beckman, a merchant and financier from Augsburg, who lived from around 1480 to 1550.

As the centuries progressed, the Beckman surname spread throughout various regions of Germany and beyond. In the 17th century, a branch of the Beckman family settled in the Dutch Republic (present-day Netherlands), where the name was recorded as "Beckmann" or "Beeckman."

One of the most famous individuals with the Beckman surname was the Dutch scientist and philosopher Isaac Beeckman (1588-1637), who made significant contributions to the fields of mechanics, optics, and natural philosophy. He is considered a precursor to the scientific revolution and a contemporary of renowned figures like Galileo Galilei and René Descartes.

In the 18th century, the Beckman surname found its way to the British Isles, where it was often anglicized to "Beckman" or "Beckmann." One notable figure from this period was Johann Beckmann (1739-1811), a German economist and technologist who wrote extensively on the history of inventions and technological advancements.

As immigration from German-speaking regions to North America increased in the 19th century, the Beckman surname became more prevalent in the United States and Canada. One notable American with this surname was Ernst Beckman (1853-1923), a chemist and professor at the University of Illinois, who made significant contributions to the field of organic chemistry.

Throughout its history, the Beckman surname has been associated with various notable individuals across different fields, including science, business, and academia. While the name's origins can be traced back to medieval Germany, its evolution and spread over the centuries have made it a truly international surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Beckman

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

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

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

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