2010
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Bekkerus
From the Norse, a watchman or steward of livestock.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Bekkerus. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bekkerus 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
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Bekkerus in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bekkerus, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bekkerus
The surname BEKKERUS has its origins in the Low German and Dutch languages, with roots dating back to the medieval period in the Netherlands and northern Germany. The name is believed to be derived from the Middle Dutch words "beke" or "beke," meaning a small stream or brook, and the suffix "-er," which denotes a person associated with or living near a particular location.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name BEKKERUS can be found in the records of the city of Leiden in the Netherlands, where a certain Ghert Bekkeres is mentioned in a document from the year 1386. This suggests that the name was already in use by the 14th century, likely referring to individuals residing near a small brook or stream.
In the 15th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "Bekkere," "Bekker," and "Bekkeren," in various records and manuscripts from the Low Countries and northern Germany. These variations reflect the regional dialects and spelling conventions of the time.
The BEKKERUS surname is also found in historical records associated with notable individuals, such as Johann Bekkerus (1555-1612), a German theologian and philosopher who served as a professor at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. Another prominent figure was Willem Bekkerus (1673-1752), a Dutch painter known for his landscapes and genre scenes.
In the 17th century, the BEKKERUS name appeared in the records of the Dutch East India Company (VOC), with several individuals bearing this surname serving as merchants and sailors in the company's trading voyages to Asia and the East Indies.
Other notable individuals with the BEKKERUS surname include:
1. Pieter Bekkerus (1625-1701), a Dutch Golden Age painter known for his still life works.
2. Balthasar Bekkerus (1634-1698), a Dutch philosopher and theologian who was a prominent critic of Cartesian philosophy.
3. Hendrik Bekkerus (1788-1854), a Dutch architect and urban planner who designed several notable buildings in Amsterdam.
4. Gerrit Bekkerus (1807-1876), a Dutch politician and jurist who served as a member of the Dutch Parliament.
5. Johanna Bekkerus (1875-1944), a Dutch feminist and activist who campaigned for women's suffrage and equal rights.
It is important to note that the BEKKERUS surname may have originated from specific place names or locations near small brooks or streams in the Netherlands and northern Germany, reflecting the historical settlement patterns and occupations of the bearers of this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bekkerus
Among Census respondents with the surname Bekkerus, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Bekkerus 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 Bekkerus surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.9% · 104
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 3
- Two or more races2.7% · 3
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bekkerus
Bekkerus 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
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
+3 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,498 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.8%) | Up 2,498 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 Bekkerus 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 | #150,452 | #147,954 | 1.7% |
| Count | 109 | 112 | 2.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bekkerus bearers went from 109 to 112 (+2.8% change). The surname moved up 2,498 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #147,954.
FAQ
Bekkerus surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bekkerus?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Bekkerus. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Bekkerus?
Bekkerus ranks #147,954 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 112 people with the surname Bekkerus. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), 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 Bekkerus.
Has Bekkerus become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bekkerus went from 109 recorded bearers to 112. That is an increase of 3 (+2.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #150,452 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Bekkerus?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bekkerus, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Bekkerus in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.9% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bekkerus appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.9%), Hispanic (2.7%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Bekkerus (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 Bekkerus mean?
From the Norse, a watchman or steward of livestock. 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 Bekkerus (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 people share the surname Bekkerus?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.