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

Begin, 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 Begin surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Begin in America

Begin is the 11839th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Begin surname appeared 2,644 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Begin.

We can also compare 2010 data for Begin 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 Begin

The surname Begin originates from France, dating back to the medieval period around the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "begin," meaning "beginner" or "novice." This name was likely given as a descriptive nickname to someone who was new to a particular trade, craft, or community.

The earliest recorded instances of the Begin surname can be found in various historical documents from the regions of Normandy and Brittany in northern France. It is possible that the name appeared in the famous Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landowners and tenants compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Begin surname was Jehan Begin, a notable merchant and landowner from the town of Rouen in Normandy, who lived during the late 13th century. Another notable figure was Guillaume Begin, a skilled blacksmith from the village of Plougastel in Brittany, who was mentioned in local records from the early 14th century.

In the 15th century, the Begin surname gained prominence with the rise of Jean Begin, a respected lawyer and judge who served in the Parlement of Paris from 1452 to 1478. His son, Jacques Begin, became a renowned scholar and theologian, authoring several influential works on ecclesiastical law during the late 15th century.

As the surname spread across France, it also found its way into various place names, such as Begincourt in the Somme region and Begincourt-les-Royes in Picardy. These place names likely derived from the Begin surname, reflecting the presence of families bearing this name in those areas.

Other notable individuals with the Begin surname throughout history include:

1. Louis Begin (1582-1647), a French explorer and settler in New France (present-day Canada).
2. Émile Begin (1845-1923), a Canadian journalist and politician who served as a member of the House of Commons.
3. Cardinal Louis-Nazaire Begin (1840-1925), a prominent Catholic prelate who served as the Archbishop of Quebec from 1898 to 1925.
4. Mgr. Paul-Eugène Begin (1858-1936), a French-Canadian priest and educator who founded the Collège de Lévis in Quebec.
5. Monique Begin (born 1936), a Canadian academic and politician who served as the Minister of National Health and Welfare from 1977 to 1979.

The Begin surname has a rich history rooted in the medieval French tradition of descriptive nicknames, and it has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds, including merchants, artisans, lawyers, clergymen, and political figures over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Begin

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

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

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

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