2000
#4,183
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,856
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.91
Rare Last name
Beeler
An occupational surname derived from the German word "bihler," meaning a person who lived near a stream or brook.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,217 Americans carry the last name Beeler. That puts it at #4,785 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.40 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 41,713 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Beeler 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
8.2K
1 in 41,713
Census rank
#4,785
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,166 bearers of the surname Beeler in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.40 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4785th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Beeler, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Black (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Beeler
The surname Beeler is of German origin, derived from the Middle High German word "bel" or "bele," meaning "bell" or "bell-ringer." It is believed to have emerged in the 13th or 14th century as an occupational surname for those who were responsible for ringing church bells or working as bell-makers.
During the Middle Ages, the name Beeler appeared in various forms, such as Beler, Beler, and Belere, in regions of present-day Germany and Switzerland. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Bern Shillings Book, a tax record from the 14th century, which mentions a "Henni Beler" from the city of Bern.
In the 16th century, the name Beeler began to spread across Europe, with records indicating individuals bearing the name in regions such as Alsace, France, and the Netherlands. One notable bearer of the name during this period was Johann Beeler (1531-1598), a German theologian and author who wrote several works on religious subjects.
The 17th and 18th centuries saw the further proliferation of the Beeler surname, with many families settling in various parts of Germany, Switzerland, and neighboring regions. One prominent figure from this era was Johann Jakob Beeler (1639-1712), a Swiss politician and mayor of the city of Zürich.
As the name spread, it also took on various spellings and variations, such as Beeler, Beler, Bähler, and Behler, reflecting regional linguistic differences. In the 19th century, many Beelers emigrated from Europe to other parts of the world, including North America, where the name became well-established.
Among the notable individuals with the surname Beeler throughout history are:
1. Johann Beeler (1531-1598), German theologian and author
2. Johann Jakob Beeler (1639-1712), Swiss politician and mayor of Zürich
3. Johann Georg Beeler (1730-1801), German artist and engraver
4. Henry Beeler (1797-1876), American businessman and politician from Pennsylvania
5. William Beeler (1841-1916), American soldier and recipient of the Medal of Honor during the American Civil War.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Beeler
Among Census respondents with the surname Beeler, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Black (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Beeler 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 Beeler surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.8% · 6,360
- Black or African American3.8% · 273
- Two or more races3.8% · 269
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 182
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 43
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 39
Timeline
Historical Census data for Beeler
Beeler 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
#4,489
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,902
+46 bearers (+0.6%)
Per 100,000 2.68
Rank movement Down 306 places
2020
#4,785
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,166
-736 bearers (-9.3%)
Per 100,000 2.40
Rank movement Down 296 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,183 | 7,856 | 2.91 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,489 | 7,902 | 2.68 | +46 bearers (+0.6%) | Down 306 places |
| 2020 | #4,785 | 7,166 | 2.40 | -736 bearers (-9.3%) | Down 296 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 Beeler 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 | #4,489 | #4,785 | -6.6% |
| Count | 7,902 | 7,166 | -9.3% |
| Per 100K | 2.68 | 2.40 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Beeler bearers went from 7,902 to 7,166 (-9.3% change). The surname moved down 296 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,489 to #4,785.
FAQ
Beeler surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Beeler?
Name Census estimates that about 8,217 living Americans carry the surname Beeler. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 41,713 residents.
How common is Beeler?
Beeler ranks #4,785 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.40 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,166 people with the surname Beeler. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,217), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.4 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.40 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Beeler.
Has Beeler become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Beeler went from 7,902 recorded bearers to 7,166. That is a decrease of 736 (-9.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,489 to #4,785.
What does the Census say about the background of Beeler?
Among Census respondents with the surname Beeler, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Black (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Beeler in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.8% (6,360 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Beeler appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.8%), Black (3.8%), Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Beeler (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 Beeler mean?
An occupational surname derived from the German word "bihler," meaning a person who lived near a stream or brook. 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 Beeler (2.40 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 people have the last name Beeler?
Want to know how common the surname Beeler is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.