2000
#110,523
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 148
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Becky
A diminutive form of the surname Beck, derived from areas once called Beck in England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Becky. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Becky 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Becky in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Becky, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.1%) and Black (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Becky
The surname "Becky" is believed to have originated in England, where it first appeared in historical records during the Middle Ages. It is thought to be a diminutive or pet form of the given name "Rebecca," which is derived from the Hebrew name "Rivkah," meaning "to tie" or "to bind." The name "Rivkah" comes from the Biblical figure Rebecca, the wife of Isaac and the mother of Jacob and Esau.
The earliest known recording of the surname "Becky" dates back to the 13th century, when it appeared in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273 as "Bekke." This suggests that the name may have originally been a nickname or shortened form of a longer surname, possibly related to a place name or occupation.
In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various spellings, such as "Beke" and "Bekke," in records from counties like Cambridgeshire and Norfolk. These early spellings provide insight into the evolution of the name over time and its potential regional variations.
One notable historical figure who bore the surname "Becky" was John Becky, a 15th-century English landowner and merchant from Exeter, Devon. Records from the 1440s mention him as a prominent figure in the city's wool trade and a benefactor of local churches.
In the 16th century, the surname "Becky" appeared in the Muster Rolls of Wiltshire in 1539, where a certain Thomas Becky was listed as a landowner and militiaman. This record provides evidence of the surname's presence in different parts of England during that period.
Another individual of note with the surname "Becky" was William Becky, a 17th-century clergyman who served as the Rector of Great Finborough in Suffolk from 1642 to 1668. His tenure coincided with the tumultuous period of the English Civil War and the Commonwealth era.
During the 18th century, the surname "Becky" was found in various parish records across England, including in counties like Gloucestershire, Somerset, and Oxfordshire. One notable bearer of the name from this time was James Becky, a farmer and landowner from Taunton, Somerset, who was born in 1712 and died in 1783.
In the 19th century, the surname "Becky" continued to be present in various parts of England, with records showing individuals bearing the name in cities like London, as well as rural areas. One notable figure from this period was Elizabeth Becky, a philanthropist and social reformer from Dorset, who was actively involved in various charitable organizations and initiatives in the late 1800s.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Becky
Among Census respondents with the surname Becky, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.1%) and Black (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Becky 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 Becky surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.6% · 99
- Hispanic or Latino7.1% · 8
- Black or African American1.8% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Becky
Becky 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
#122,314
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 141
-7 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 11,791 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-28 bearers (-19.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 24,907 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #110,523 | 148 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #122,314 | 141 | 0.05 | -7 bearers (-4.7%) | Down 11,791 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -28 bearers (-19.9%) | Down 24,907 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 Becky 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 | #122,314 | #147,221 | -20.4% |
| Count | 141 | 113 | -19.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -24.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Becky bearers went from 141 to 113 (-19.9% change). The surname moved down 24,907 positions in the national ranking, going from #122,314 to #147,221.
FAQ
Becky surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Becky?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Becky. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Becky?
Becky ranks #147,221 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 113 people with the surname Becky. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Becky.
Has Becky become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Becky went from 141 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 28 (-19.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #122,314 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Becky?
Among Census respondents with the surname Becky, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.1%) and Black (1.8%). 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 Becky in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.6% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Becky appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.6%), Hispanic (7.1%), Black (1.8%). 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 Becky (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 Becky mean?
A diminutive form of the surname Beck, derived from areas once called Beck 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 Becky (0.04 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 Americans have the surname Becky?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.