2000
#11,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,485
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.92
Rare Last name
Behan
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic word "beathán," meaning "little bear" or "lively one."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,624 Americans carry the last name Behan. That puts it at #12,854 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.77 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 130,623 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Behan 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 Behan with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.6K
1 in 130,623
Census rank
#12,854
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,288 bearers of the surname Behan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.77 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12854th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Behan, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Behan
The surname Behan originated in Ireland, with its earliest known origins dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Irish Gaelic word "beathán," which means "little life" or "little being." This name was likely given as a descriptive nickname to someone who was small in stature or youthful in appearance.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Behan surname can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. In an entry dated 1173, a man named Aedh Behan is mentioned as being present at a significant event.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Behan family was well-established in County Wexford, located in the southeastern part of Ireland. Several members of the family were landowners and prominent figures in the local community.
In the late 18th century, a notable individual named Brendan Behan (1735-1814) served as a member of the Irish Parliament, representing the borough of Duleek in County Meath. He was a vocal advocate for Catholic rights and played a significant role in the political landscape of the time.
Another prominent figure bearing the Behan surname was the acclaimed Irish playwright and author, Brendan Behan (1923-1964). Born in Dublin, he gained international recognition for his works, including the plays "The Quare Fellow" and "The Hostage," as well as the autobiographical novel "Borstal Boy."
In the realm of Irish music, the Behan name has been carried on by the traditional singer and songwriter, Paddy Behan (1913-1988). He was a beloved figure in Dublin's folk music scene and a prolific composer of ballads and songs celebrating Irish culture and history.
Other notable individuals with the Behan surname include Michael Behan (1865-1923), an Irish politician and member of the Irish Parliamentary Party, and Dominic Behan (1928-1989), a writer and playwright who was the younger brother of the famous Brendan Behan.
While the Behan name has its roots in Ireland, it has since been carried by individuals across various parts of the world, reflecting the diaspora of Irish emigration throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Behan
Among Census respondents with the surname Behan, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Behan 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 Behan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.8% · 2,077
- Two or more races3.1% · 72
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 58
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.5% · 34
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3% · 30
- Black or African American0.7% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Behan
Behan 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
#11,092
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,862
+377 bearers (+15.2%)
Per 100,000 0.97
Rank movement Up 498 places
2020
#12,854
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,288
-574 bearers (-20.1%)
Per 100,000 0.77
Rank movement Down 1,762 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,590 | 2,485 | 0.92 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,092 | 2,862 | 0.97 | +377 bearers (+15.2%) | Up 498 places |
| 2020 | #12,854 | 2,288 | 0.77 | -574 bearers (-20.1%) | Down 1,762 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 Behan 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 | #11,092 | #12,854 | -15.9% |
| Count | 2,862 | 2,288 | -20.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.97 | 0.77 | -21.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Behan bearers went from 2,862 to 2,288 (-20.1% change). The surname moved down 1,762 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,092 to #12,854.
FAQ
Behan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Behan?
Name Census estimates that about 2,624 living Americans carry the surname Behan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 130,623 residents.
How common is Behan?
Behan ranks #12,854 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.77 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,288 people with the surname Behan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,624), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.77 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.77 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Behan.
Has Behan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Behan went from 2,862 recorded bearers to 2,288. That is a decrease of 574 (-20.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,092 to #12,854.
What does the Census say about the background of Behan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Behan, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Behan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.8% (2,077 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Behan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.8%), Two or More Races (3.1%), Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Behan (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 Behan mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic word "beathán," meaning "little bear" or "lively one." 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 Behan (0.77 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 surname Behan?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.