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

Beckum, 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 Beckum surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Beckum in America

Beckum is the 29661st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Beckum surname appeared 794 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 Beckum.

We can also compare 2010 data for Beckum 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 Beckum

The surname Beckum originated in Germany, specifically in the town of Beckum, located in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The name can be traced back to the 12th century and is derived from the Old Saxon word "beki," meaning a brook or stream, and "ham," meaning a homestead or village.

Beckum was first recorded in the Codex Traditionum Westfalicarum, a collection of medieval manuscripts documenting land transactions and property rights in Westphalia, dating back to the 9th century. The town's name was mentioned in several entries, indicating the presence of families bearing the surname Beckum in the region.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Beckum was Johann von Beckum, a Franciscan friar and theologian who lived in the 15th century. He was known for his work on the interpretation of the Bible and was a prominent figure in the religious community of his time.

In the 16th century, the name appeared in the records of the Hanseatic League, a powerful commercial and defensive confederation of merchant guilds and market towns in Northern Europe. Hermann Beckum, a merchant from Lübeck, was noted for his involvement in the trade of Baltic goods.

During the 17th century, the Beckum family played a significant role in the development of the town of Beckum. Johann Friedrich Beckum, born in 1620, was a renowned architect who designed several churches and public buildings in the region, including the St. Stephanus Church in Beckum.

In the 19th century, Carl Beckum, born in 1818, was a respected linguist and philologist. He made significant contributions to the study of Germanic languages and published several works on the subject, including a comprehensive dictionary of Old Saxon.

Another notable figure with the surname Beckum was Theodor Beckum, born in 1865. He was a renowned painter and sculptor, known for his landscapes and portraits. His works were featured in numerous exhibitions across Germany and are housed in several art museums today.

Over the centuries, the surname Beckum has spread beyond its place of origin, with families bearing this name found in various parts of Germany and other countries. However, the name remains deeply rooted in its historical and geographical origins in the town of Beckum, where it has been a prominent surname for centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Beckum

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

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

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

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