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

Becraft, 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 Becraft surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Becraft in America

Becraft is the 17005th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Becraft surname appeared 1,671 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Becraft.

We can also compare 2010 data for Becraft 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 Becraft

The surname BECRAFT is believed to have originated in the Netherlands or Low Countries region during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Dutch words "be" meaning "by" and "kraft" meaning "power" or "strength," suggesting the name may have been an occupational surname referring to someone of authority or influence.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name dates back to the 15th century, when a Johannes Becraft was mentioned in a historical document from the city of Antwerp in the year 1473. This suggests the name had established roots in the region by that time.

As the name spread, variations in spelling began to appear, including Becreft, Becrafte, and Becrafft. These alternative spellings were likely due to linguistic differences and the lack of standardized spelling conventions in earlier centuries.

In the 16th century, the BECRAFT name appears in the records of the Dutch East India Company, indicating that some individuals with this surname may have been involved in the maritime trade and exploration activities of the time. One notable figure was Pieter Becraft, a Dutch navigator who embarked on voyages to the East Indies in the late 1500s.

As the Dutch colonial presence expanded, the BECRAFT name began to appear in other parts of the world, including North America. One of the earliest recorded instances in the New World was Dirk Becraft, who settled in New Amsterdam (present-day New York) in the mid-17th century.

In the 18th century, a prominent figure with the BECRAFT surname was Willem Becraft, a Dutch merchant and landowner who established a successful trading business in the Cape Colony (present-day South Africa). His descendants continued to play a role in the region's economic and political affairs for generations.

Other notable individuals with the BECRAFT surname include James Becraft (1790-1860), an American entrepreneur and industrialist who founded the Becraft Ironworks in Pennsylvania, and Sir Henry Becraft (1821-1898), a British diplomat and statesman who served as the Governor of Barbados in the late 19th century.

As the name spread across various regions and cultures, its spelling and pronunciation evolved further, leading to variations such as Becroft, Beckraft, and Beckcraft. However, the core elements of the name's meaning and historical significance remained intact, reflecting its Dutch origins and connections to themes of power, authority, and influence.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Becraft

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

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

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

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