2000
#6,042
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,235
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.94
Rare Last name
Beckner
An occupational surname for someone who bakes bread or a baker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,692 Americans carry the last name Beckner. That puts it at #6,557 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.66 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 60,217 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Beckner 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
5.7K
1 in 60,217
Census rank
#6,557
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,964 bearers of the surname Beckner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.66 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6557th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Beckner, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Beckner
The surname Beckner has its origins in Germany, emerging in the medieval period around the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "becke," meaning "brook" or "stream," indicating that the name likely referred to someone who lived near a small body of water.
One of the earliest records of the name can be found in the town of Becknered, located in what is now the state of Saxony-Anhalt. This town's name is thought to have influenced the development of the surname Beckner. The name also appeared in various manuscripts and records from the 14th and 15th centuries, with spellings such as "Beckner," "Beckener," and "Becker."
In the 16th century, a notable figure named Hans Beckner (1515-1587) was a prominent merchant and landowner in the city of Nuremberg. His success and wealth contributed to the recognition of the Beckner name during this period.
Another individual of note was Johann Beckner (1630-1692), a Lutheran theologian and author who wrote several influential works on religious doctrine and philosophy. His writings were widely circulated throughout German-speaking regions in the 17th century.
In the 19th century, a man named Friedrich Beckner (1825-1897) was a renowned architect who designed several iconic buildings in Berlin, including the Reichstag and the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church. His contributions to German architecture cemented the Beckner name in the annals of history.
Crossing the Atlantic, one of the earliest recorded instances of the Beckner surname in North America was in 1738, when a family by the name of Beckner settled in the colony of Pennsylvania. This family's descendants would later spread throughout the United States, with some members becoming prominent figures in their respective communities.
Another notable individual was Wilhelm Beckner (1877-1942), a German-American inventor and engineer who held several patents for innovations in the field of telecommunications. His work played a significant role in the development of early radio technology.
Throughout its history, the surname Beckner has been associated with various occupations and achievements, ranging from merchants and landowners to theologians, architects, and inventors. Its origins can be traced back to medieval Germany, where it likely referred to those who lived near small streams or brooks.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Beckner
Among Census respondents with the surname Beckner, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Beckner 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 Beckner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.1% · 4,574
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 162
- Two or more races2.5% · 122
- Black or African American1.6% · 77
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 20
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Beckner
Beckner 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
#6,199
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,516
+281 bearers (+5.4%)
Per 100,000 1.87
Rank movement Down 157 places
2020
#6,557
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,964
-552 bearers (-10.0%)
Per 100,000 1.66
Rank movement Down 358 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,042 | 5,235 | 1.94 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,199 | 5,516 | 1.87 | +281 bearers (+5.4%) | Down 157 places |
| 2020 | #6,557 | 4,964 | 1.66 | -552 bearers (-10.0%) | Down 358 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 Beckner 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 | #6,199 | #6,557 | -5.8% |
| Count | 5,516 | 4,964 | -10.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.87 | 1.66 | -11.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Beckner bearers went from 5,516 to 4,964 (-10.0% change). The surname moved down 358 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,199 to #6,557.
FAQ
Beckner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Beckner?
Name Census estimates that about 5,692 living Americans carry the surname Beckner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 60,217 residents.
How common is Beckner?
Beckner ranks #6,557 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.66 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 4,964 people with the surname Beckner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,692), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.66 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.66 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 Beckner.
Has Beckner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Beckner went from 5,516 recorded bearers to 4,964. That is a decrease of 552 (-10.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,199 to #6,557.
What does the Census say about the background of Beckner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Beckner, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Beckner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.1% (4,574 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Beckner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.1%), Hispanic (3.3%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Beckner (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 Beckner mean?
An occupational surname for someone who bakes bread or a baker. 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 Beckner (1.66 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 Beckner?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.