2000
#132,259
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Becknel
A locational surname derived from a place name in England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Becknel. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Becknel 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
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Becknel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Becknel, the largest self-reported group is White at 46.6%. The next largest groups are Black (36.9%) and Two or More Races (8.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Becknel
The surname Becknel is believed to have originated in England, with its roots dating back to the medieval period. It is thought to be a locational name, derived from a place name that no longer exists or has undergone significant changes over time.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire, dated 1327, which mentions a Robert de Beckenhull. This spelling variation suggests that the name may have been derived from a place name containing the Old English elements "becc" or "bece," meaning a stream or brook, and "hyll" or "hull," meaning a hill.
During the 13th and 14th centuries, the name appeared in various historical records across different regions of England, including the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire (1273), the Feet of Fines for Essex (1334), and the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield (1379).
Notable individuals bearing the Becknel surname include:
1. John Becknel (c. 1540-1615), an English merchant and landowner from Gloucestershire, who served as a member of the local gentry.
2. Thomas Becknel (1675-1742), a prominent farmer and landowner from Wiltshire, known for his contribution to the agricultural practices of the region.
3. Elizabeth Becknel (1720-1802), a renowned botanist and herbalist from Oxfordshire, who authored several influential works on the medicinal properties of plants.
4. William Becknel (1785-1859), a successful industrialist from Lancashire, who played a significant role in the development of textile manufacturing during the Industrial Revolution.
5. Sarah Becknel (1825-1901), a philanthropist and social reformer from Northumberland, known for her efforts in establishing schools and advocating for women's rights.
While the Becknel surname may have originated from a specific location, it has since spread across various regions of England and beyond, with its bearers contributing to various fields and endeavors throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Becknel
Among Census respondents with the surname Becknel, the largest self-reported group is White at 46.6%. The next largest groups are Black (36.9%) and Two or More Races (8.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Becknel 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 Becknel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White46.6% · 48
- Black or African American36.9% · 38
- Two or more races8.7% · 9
- Hispanic or Latino4.9% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Becknel
Becknel 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
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-16 bearers (-13.6%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 26,173 places
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
+1 bearers (+1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 4,250 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #132,259 | 118 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | -16 bearers (-13.6%) | Down 26,173 places |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | +1 bearers (+1.0%) | Up 4,250 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 Becknel 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 | #158,432 | #154,182 | 2.7% |
| Count | 102 | 103 | 1.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 14.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Becknel bearers went from 102 to 103 (+1.0% change). The surname moved up 4,250 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #154,182.
FAQ
Becknel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Becknel?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Becknel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Becknel?
Becknel ranks #154,182 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 103 people with the surname Becknel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Becknel.
Has Becknel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Becknel went from 102 recorded bearers to 103. That is an increase of 1 (+1.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Becknel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Becknel, the largest self-reported group is White at 46.6%. The next largest groups are Black (36.9%) and Two or More Races (8.7%). 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 Becknel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 46.6% (48 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Becknel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (46.6%), Black (36.9%), Two or More Races (8.7%). 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 Becknel (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 Becknel mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name 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 Becknel (0.03 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 share the surname Becknel?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.