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

Beig, 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 Beig surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Beig in America

Beig is the 156044th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Beig surname appeared 104 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 Beig.

We can also compare 2010 data for Beig 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 Beig

The surname BEIG has its origins in the British Isles, likely arising in the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from an Old English word "beige" or "beig" meaning "to bend" or "a bend," potentially referring to someone who lived near a bend in a river or road.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry lists a "Godric Beig" as holding lands in the county of Somerset.

In the 13th century, records show a "Robert de Beig" residing in the village of Beighton, near Sheffield in Yorkshire. This place name, derived from the Old English "beg" meaning "ring" or "circle," may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname in that region.

A notable bearer of the name was Sir William Beig (c.1450-1515), a knight from Gloucestershire who served as a military commander during the Wars of the Roses. He is mentioned in several contemporary chronicles for his role in the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485.

During the Tudor period, a wealthy merchant named Thomas Beig (1520-1589) is recorded as owning extensive properties in London and Essex. His coat of arms, featuring a bend or diagonal band, is suggestive of the name's potential origins.

In Scotland, the Beig surname appears to have been concentrated in the Highlands, particularly in the region of Lochaber. A notable figure was Iain Beig (1680-1745), a Jacobite soldier who fought alongside Bonnie Prince Charlie at the Battle of Culloden in 1746.

Other historical figures bearing the BEIG surname include:

• Mary Beig (c.1650-1720), an early Quaker preacher from Lancashire
• Edward Beig (1767-1843), a British naval officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars
• Reverend John Beig (1812-1887), a prominent Anglican clergyman and scholar at Oxford University
• Elizabeth Beig (1845-1926), a philanthropist and advocate for women's education in Yorkshire

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Beig

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

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

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

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