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

Beeson, 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 Beeson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Beeson in America

Beeson is the 5047th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Beeson surname appeared 6,952 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Beeson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Beeson 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 Beeson

The surname Beeson is of English origin and dates back to the late medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "beo" meaning bee and "tun" meaning an enclosure or farm, indicating that the name likely referred to someone who lived near a bee enclosure or apiary.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in various medieval records, such as the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, which mentions a John de Beston, and the Feet of Fines for Essex from 1310, which refers to a William Beyston.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various spellings such as Beston, Beyston, and Beeston, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling at the time. The spelling "Beeson" emerged later, possibly as a result of the Norman influence on English language and pronunciation.

One notable early bearer of the name was John Beeston, a 16th-century English actor and playwright who was a member of the Lord Chamberlain's Men, the company that produced many of Shakespeare's plays. He was born around 1550 and died in 1620.

Another prominent figure was Sir William Beeston, an English naval officer and colonial administrator who served as Governor of Jamaica from 1692 to 1699. He was born in 1636 and died in 1701.

In the 18th century, the Beeson family established itself in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Gloucestershire, Staffordshire, and Warwickshire. One notable member was Reverend Joseph Beeson, a clergyman and author who was born in 1751 and died in 1828.

The 19th century saw the name spread further across England and beyond. William Beeson, born in 1809 and died in 1875, was a prominent English architect who designed several churches and public buildings in London and the surrounding areas.

Another significant figure was Henry Ward Beecher, an American Congregationalist clergyman and social reformer, who was born in 1813 and died in 1887. Although his surname was spelled differently, it is believed to share a common ancestry with the Beeson name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Beeson

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

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

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

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