2000
#125,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Beshires
A variant form of the surname Beasher, likely derived from an English place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Beshires. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Beshires 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
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Beshires in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Beshires, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.7%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Beshires
The surname Beshires is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is likely derived from an Old English place name or an occupational term describing someone who lived near a bush or thicket.
The earliest known record of the surname Beshires dates back to the 13th century in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire, where a William de Beshires was listed as a landowner in 1275. This indicates that the name was already well-established by this time.
In the 14th century, the Beshires surname appeared in various forms, such as Beshires, Beshyre, and Beshire, reflecting the linguistic and spelling variations common during that era.
One notable historical figure bearing the Beshires surname was Sir John Beshires (c. 1430-1498), a prominent English nobleman who served as a member of the Privy Council under King Henry VII. He was also known for his role in the Wars of the Roses.
Another historical figure was Robert Beshires (1554-1612), an English clergyman who served as the Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield from 1598 until his death.
In the 17th century, the surname Beshires gained prominence in the county of Cheshire, where several families were recorded in the parish registers of various towns and villages.
One notable individual from this period was Elizabeth Beshires (1633-1708), a wealthy landowner and philanthropist who founded a school for underprivileged children in the village of Nantwich.
During the 18th century, the Beshires surname spread across various parts of England, with branches of the family settling in counties such as Warwickshire, Staffordshire, and Worcestershire.
A prominent figure from this era was Sir Thomas Beshires (1712-1789), a successful merchant and Member of Parliament who played a significant role in the development of the city of Birmingham's industrial sector.
In the 19th century, the Beshires surname continued to be well-represented in various parts of England, with numerous individuals making contributions in various fields, including academia, politics, and the arts.
One such individual was Arthur Beshires (1828-1901), a renowned poet and literary critic who was celebrated for his lyrical works and insightful literary analyses.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Beshires
Among Census respondents with the surname Beshires, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.7%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Beshires 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 Beshires surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.7% · 111
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Beshires
Beshires 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
#129,047
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 132
+6 bearers (+4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,408 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
-16 bearers (-12.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,981 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #125,639 | 126 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #129,047 | 132 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+4.8%) | Down 3,408 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | -16 bearers (-12.1%) | Down 15,981 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 Beshires 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 | #129,047 | #145,028 | -12.4% |
| Count | 132 | 116 | -12.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Beshires bearers went from 132 to 116 (-12.1% change). The surname moved down 15,981 positions in the national ranking, going from #129,047 to #145,028.
FAQ
Beshires surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Beshires?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Beshires. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Beshires?
Beshires ranks #145,028 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 116 people with the surname Beshires. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), 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 Beshires.
Has Beshires become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Beshires went from 132 recorded bearers to 116. That is a decrease of 16 (-12.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #129,047 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Beshires?
Among Census respondents with the surname Beshires, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.7%) and Black (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 Beshires in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.7% (111 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Beshires appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.7%), Two or More Races (1.7%), Black (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 Beshires (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 Beshires mean?
A variant form of the surname Beasher, likely derived from an English place name. 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 Beshires (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 are called Beshires?
You can see how many people have the surname Beshires on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.