2000
#14,958
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,813
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.67
Rare Last name
Beecham
An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "homestead by a stream" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,116 Americans carry the last name Beecham. That puts it at #15,318 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.62 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 161,982 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Beecham 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Beecham with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.1K
1 in 161,982
Census rank
#15,318
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,845 bearers of the surname Beecham in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.62 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15318th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Beecham, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.8%. The next largest groups are Black (28.1%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Beecham
The surname Beecham has its origins in England, tracing back to the 14th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "bēce" and "hām," meaning "stream" and "homestead" or "village," respectively. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near a stream or a village situated by a stream.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex, dated 1296, which mention a John de Becham. The surname's spelling has evolved over time, with variations such as Becham, Bechame, and Beacham appearing in historical records.
In the 15th century, the Beecham name appeared in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1464, documenting a land transaction involving a John Beecham. This record provides evidence of the name's presence in that region during that time period.
Notable individuals with the surname Beecham include Sir Joseph Beecham (1588-1661), an English politician who served as Sheriff of London in 1640. Another prominent figure was Thomas Beecham (1770-1838), a successful merchant and industrialist from Wigan, Lancashire, known for his involvement in the textile industry.
In the world of music, Sir Thomas Beecham (1879-1961), a renowned English conductor and impresario, left a lasting legacy. He founded the London Philharmonic Orchestra and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and was knighted for his contributions to British cultural life.
Another individual of note was Joseph Beecham (1851-1927), an English businessman and philanthropist from Wigan. He established the Beecham Group, a successful pharmaceutical company, and was actively involved in various charitable endeavors.
The Beecham name has also been associated with specific locations, such as Beecham Well in Hertfordshire, which was mentioned in a charter from the 13th century, suggesting a connection between the surname and a place name.
Over the centuries, the Beecham surname has maintained a presence in various parts of England, with concentrations in areas like Lancashire, Sussex, and Essex, reflecting its historical roots and evolution.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Beecham
Among Census respondents with the surname Beecham, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.8%. The next largest groups are Black (28.1%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Beecham 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 Beecham surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White62.8% · 1,159
- Black or African American28.1% · 519
- Two or more races4.2% · 77
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 65
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 17
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Beecham
Beecham 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
#14,382
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,078
+265 bearers (+14.6%)
Per 100,000 0.70
Rank movement Up 576 places
2020
#15,318
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,845
-233 bearers (-11.2%)
Per 100,000 0.62
Rank movement Down 936 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,958 | 1,813 | 0.67 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,382 | 2,078 | 0.70 | +265 bearers (+14.6%) | Up 576 places |
| 2020 | #15,318 | 1,845 | 0.62 | -233 bearers (-11.2%) | Down 936 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 Beecham 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 | #14,382 | #15,318 | -6.5% |
| Count | 2,078 | 1,845 | -11.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.70 | 0.62 | -11.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Beecham bearers went from 2,078 to 1,845 (-11.2% change). The surname moved down 936 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,382 to #15,318.
FAQ
Beecham surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Beecham?
Name Census estimates that about 2,116 living Americans carry the surname Beecham. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 161,982 residents.
How common is Beecham?
Beecham ranks #15,318 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.62 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,845 people with the surname Beecham. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,116), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.62 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.62 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Beecham.
Has Beecham become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Beecham went from 2,078 recorded bearers to 1,845. That is a decrease of 233 (-11.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,382 to #15,318.
What does the Census say about the background of Beecham?
Among Census respondents with the surname Beecham, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.8%. The next largest groups are Black (28.1%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Beecham in the 2020 Census, accounting for 62.8% (1,159 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Beecham appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (62.8%), Black (28.1%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Beecham (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 Beecham mean?
An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "homestead by a stream" in Old English. 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 Beecham (0.62 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 common is the surname Beecham?
See how many people have the surname Beecham on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.