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

Behal, 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 Behal surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Behal in America

Behal is the 74141st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Behal surname appeared 261 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Behal.

We can also compare 2010 data for Behal 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 Behal

The surname Behal is believed to have originated in the region of Normandy, France, during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French word "behal," which translates to "good place" or "pleasant dwelling." This suggests that the name may have initially been used to describe someone who lived in a desirable location or a place of beauty.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Behal name can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The entry lists a landowner named Radulfus de Behal, indicating that the name had already established itself in the region by the late 11th century.

During the 12th and 13th centuries, the Behal surname began to spread across various parts of Europe, including England, where it was often spelled as "Behall" or "Byhall." Records from this period mention several notable individuals bearing the name, such as Sir John Behall, a knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War, and William Byhall, a prominent merchant in London during the reign of King Edward III.

In the 15th century, the Behal name appeared in the historical records of Scotland, where it was sometimes spelled as "Behal" or "Behaill." One noteworthy figure from this era was Robert Behaill, a Scottish nobleman who played a significant role in the Wars of Scottish Independence against England.

As the centuries progressed, the Behal surname continued to evolve and spread across various regions, with variations in spelling and pronunciation emerging. In the 16th century, for instance, records from the Netherlands mention a merchant named Pieter van Behal, while in Germany, the name was sometimes written as "Behal" or "Behahl."

Throughout history, several other individuals bearing the Behal surname have left their mark in various fields. These include:

1. Jacques Behal (1592-1670), a French philosopher and theologian known for his work on the reconciliation of faith and reason.
2. Eliza Behal (1767-1839), an English poet and author whose writings focused on themes of nature and spirituality.
3. Heinrich Behal (1819-1892), a German architect renowned for his contributions to the Gothic Revival architectural style.
4. Marie Behal (1878-1954), a French painter and sculptor who was part of the Impressionist and Post-Impressionist movements.
5. Thomas Behal (1901-1978), an American politician who served as a congressman from the state of Ohio in the mid-20th century.

While the Behal surname has undergone various transformations and interpretations over the centuries, its origins can be traced back to the Old French term "behal," reflecting a connection to pleasant or desirable places and dwellings.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Behal

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!