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

Becton, 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 Becton surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Becton in America

Becton is the 11886th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Becton surname appeared 2,634 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 Becton.

We can also compare 2010 data for Becton 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 Becton

The surname Becton is of English origin, derived from a place name. It originated in the medieval period, likely around the 12th or 13th century, in the county of Nottinghamshire, England.

The name Becton is believed to have evolved from the Old English words "bec" meaning a stream or brook, and "tun" meaning a farmstead or village. Thus, Becton originally referred to a settlement located near a small stream or brook.

One of the earliest known references to the name Becton appears in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landholdings and estates in England compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. The Domesday Book mentions a place called "Bectone" in Nottinghamshire, which is likely the origin of the surname.

In the 13th century, a record from 1273 mentions a William de Becton, who was a landowner in Nottinghamshire. This is one of the earliest documented instances of the surname Becton being used by an individual.

Over the centuries, the name Becton has been spelled in various ways, including Beckton, Bectone, and Beighton, reflecting regional variations and changes in spelling conventions.

Notable individuals with the surname Becton throughout history include:

1. Sir John Becton (1496-1558), an English landowner and Member of Parliament for Nottinghamshire during the reign of Queen Mary I.
2. Thomas Becton (1571-1630), an English clergyman and author of religious works.
3. Elizabeth Becton (1632-1704), an English Quaker and one of the earliest female preachers in the Religious Society of Friends.
4. Samuel Becton (1715-1789), an American merchant and landowner in North Carolina, one of the early settlers in the region.
5. Joseph Becton (1847-1917), an English philanthropist and businessman who donated funds for the establishment of a public library and park in his hometown of Nottingham.

The surname Becton is still found today, primarily in England and the United States, where many descendants of early English settlers bearing this name have lived for generations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Becton

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

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

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

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