2000
#122,534
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Begbie
Of Scottish origin, meaning "dweller by the peat bog".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Begbie. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Begbie 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 Begbie with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Begbie in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Begbie, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (6.3%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Begbie
The surname Begbie originates from Scotland, where it first appeared in the early 14th century. It is derived from the Old French word "beguine," which refers to a member of a religious order of women who lived in communities and took vows of chastity and obedience without strictly being nuns.
The name is thought to have been initially given as a descriptive surname to someone who lived near or was associated with a beguine house, a type of religious community where these women resided. Early records show variations in the spelling, including Begbie, Begybie, and Begobie.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Begbie can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from 1390, which mention a person named John Begby. The name also appears in various other Scottish records from the 15th and 16th centuries, indicating its long-standing presence in the region.
In terms of historical figures with the Begbie surname, one notable individual was William Begbie (1685-1743), a Scottish physician and author who practiced in Twickenham, England. He is known for his work "A Treatise on the Cure of Ruptures" published in 1734.
Another prominent Begbie was Sir John Begbie (1826-1888), a British lawyer and jurist who served as the first Chief Justice of British Columbia, Canada. He played a significant role in establishing the legal system in the province during its early years after becoming a British colony.
In the 19th century, Thomas Masterman Begbie (1834-1920) was a British lawyer and judge who served as a Baron of the Court of Exchequer. He is notable for his involvement in several high-profile cases during his legal career.
James Warburton Begbie (1826-1876) was a Scottish physician and botanist who made significant contributions to the study of plant life in British Columbia. He is credited with discovering several new species and had a mountain range named after him in recognition of his work.
Lastly, Jeb Begbie (born 1963) is a contemporary American musician and songwriter, best known as the guitarist and co-founder of the punk rock band Titus Andronicus.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Begbie
Among Census respondents with the surname Begbie, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (6.3%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Begbie 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 Begbie surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.1% · 102
- Asian and Pacific Islander6.3% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Begbie
Begbie 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
#136,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
-7 bearers (-5.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,915 places
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-11 bearers (-8.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,505 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #122,534 | 130 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #136,449 | 123 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-5.4%) | Down 13,915 places |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | -11 bearers (-8.9%) | Down 11,505 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 Begbie 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 | #136,449 | #147,954 | -8.4% |
| Count | 123 | 112 | -8.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Begbie bearers went from 123 to 112 (-8.9% change). The surname moved down 11,505 positions in the national ranking, going from #136,449 to #147,954.
FAQ
Begbie surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Begbie?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Begbie. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Begbie?
Begbie ranks #147,954 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 112 people with the surname Begbie. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Begbie.
Has Begbie become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Begbie went from 123 recorded bearers to 112. That is a decrease of 11 (-8.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #136,449 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Begbie?
Among Census respondents with the surname Begbie, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (6.3%) and Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Begbie in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.1% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Begbie appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (6.3%), Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Begbie (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 Begbie mean?
Of Scottish origin, meaning "dweller by the peat bog". 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 Begbie (0.04 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 share the surname Begbie?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.