2010
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Bekier
From a surname maker meaning butcher or slaughterer.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Bekier. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bekier 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.
Bearers in the US
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Bekier in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bekier, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bekier
The surname BEKIER is believed to have originated in Poland, where it first appeared in historical records dating back to the 16th century. It is thought to be derived from the Polish word "bekier," which means "shepherd's staff" or "crook." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who worked as a shepherd or herdsman.
While the exact origins of the name are not entirely clear, some theories suggest that it may be related to the German surname "Becker," which also has connections to the occupation of baking or baking bread. It is possible that the two names share a common root, but diverged due to linguistic and cultural differences between Poland and Germany.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the BEKIER surname can be found in a document from the town of Krakow, dated 1562. This document mentions a man named Jan BEKIER, who was a landowner in the region. Another notable figure with this surname was Mikołaj BEKIER, a Polish nobleman who lived in the 17th century and served as a military commander during the Polish-Swedish wars.
In the 18th century, a prominent BEKIER family resided in the village of Wola Życka, near the city of Radom. This family was involved in the local agricultural industry and owned several farms in the area. One member of this family, Tomasz BEKIER (1725-1801), was a respected farmer and landowner who played an important role in the community.
Another notable individual with the BEKIER surname was Franciszek BEKIER (1790-1865), a Polish writer and poet who was born in the town of Sandomierz. He was known for his romantic and patriotic works, which celebrated Polish culture and history.
In the 19th century, a family of BEKIERs living in the city of Lublin produced several notable figures. One of them was Józef BEKIER (1818-1892), a prominent lawyer and judge who served in the local court system. His son, Stanisław BEKIER (1855-1921), followed in his father's footsteps and became a respected jurist and legal scholar.
Throughout history, the BEKIER surname has been associated with various occupations, including agriculture, military service, literature, and law. While not as widespread as some other Polish surnames, it has left a lasting mark in various regions of the country and has been carried by many accomplished individuals over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bekier
Among Census respondents with the surname Bekier, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Bekier 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 Bekier surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.4% · 106
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bekier
Bekier appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+5 bearers (+4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,461 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.8%) | Up 5,461 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 Bekier 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 | #154,907 | #149,446 | 3.5% |
| Count | 105 | 110 | 4.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bekier bearers went from 105 to 110 (+4.8% change). The surname moved up 5,461 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #149,446.
FAQ
Bekier surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bekier?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Bekier. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Bekier?
Bekier ranks #149,446 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 110 people with the surname Bekier. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), 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 Bekier.
Has Bekier become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bekier went from 105 recorded bearers to 110. That is an increase of 5 (+4.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Bekier?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bekier, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (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 Bekier in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.4% (106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bekier appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.4%), Hispanic (1.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (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 Bekier (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 Bekier mean?
From a surname maker meaning butcher or slaughterer. 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 Bekier (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 Americans have the surname Bekier?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.