Bede last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Bede

A surname derived from the Old English word "bede" meaning prayer or prayer book.

Bede, 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 Bede surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bede in America

Bede is the 83226th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bede surname appeared 226 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 Bede.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bede 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 83226 75219 10.11%
Count 226 239 -5.59%
Proportion per 100k 0.08 0.09 -11.76%

The history of the last name Bede

The surname BEDE originates from England, with its roots traced back to the Anglo-Saxon period. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "bede," which means "prayer" or "one who prays." The name was likely initially given to a devout individual or someone associated with the church or religious life.

One of the earliest and most notable bearers of the name was the Venerable Bede, a renowned monk, scholar, and historian who lived from 672 to 735 AD. He is known for his extensive writings, including the "Ecclesiastical History of the English People," which is considered one of the most important sources for early British history.

The BEDE surname is also found in the Domesday Book, a record of landholders in England compiled in 1086 under the orders of William the Conqueror. This suggests that the name was already established in various parts of the country by the late 11th century.

During the Middle Ages, the name BEDE was often associated with monastic life and religious establishments. For instance, in the 12th century, there was a Benedictine abbot named Bede of Jarrow, who served as the head of the monastic community at Jarrow, Northumbria.

In the 14th century, a notable figure with the surname BEDE was John Bede, a Carmelite friar and theologian who lived from around 1330 to 1389. He was known for his writings on various religious and philosophical topics.

Another prominent individual with the BEDE surname was Adam Bede, a fictional character created by George Eliot in her novel of the same name, published in 1859. The character was a carpenter and Methodist preacher, reflecting the religious associations of the name.

Over the centuries, the BEDE surname has also been associated with various place names, such as Bedlington and Bebside in Northumberland, England. These names may have influenced the spelling variations of the surname, including Bede, Beade, and Beed.

While the BEDE surname has a rich history, it is important to note that the information provided here is based on historical records and may not reflect the full extent of the name's origins and evolution over time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bede

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

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 Bede was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 80.09% 181
Non-Hispanic Black Only 8.85% 20
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 6.19% 14
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 3.54% 8
Hispanic Origin (S)% (S)

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 Bede has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 80.09% 87.87% -9.26%
Black 8.85% 6.28% 33.97%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 6.19% 4.18% 38.77%
Two or More Races 3.54% (S)% (S)%
Hispanic (S)% 0.00% (S)%

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

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

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Bede last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on July 26, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/bede-surname-popularity/.

"Bede last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/bede-surname-popularity/. Accessed 26 July, 2024

Bede last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/bede-surname-popularity/.

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