2000
#124,872
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 127
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Beskin
A surname of Russian origin possibly derived from a word meaning "devilish" or "bedeviled".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Beskin. 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 Beskin 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 Beskin 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 Beskin, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Beskin
The surname Beskin is believed to have its origins in Russia, with the earliest records dating back to the 16th century. It is thought to be derived from the Russian word "bespechnyy," which means "carefree" or "careless." This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive nickname for someone with a carefree or lighthearted demeanor.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Beskin can be found in the Veliky Novgorod Chronicles, a collection of historical records from the city of Novgorod, dating back to the late 15th century. In these chronicles, a man named Ivan Beskin is mentioned as a trader and merchant who traveled extensively throughout the region.
During the 17th century, the Beskin name appears in various records from the Russian Empire, including tax rolls and property deeds. One notable example is Fyodor Beskin, a landowner and nobleman who lived in the late 1600s and owned vast estates in the Smolensk region.
As the Russian Empire expanded and settlers moved eastward, the Beskin name spread to other regions, including Siberia and the Ural Mountains. In the 19th century, Grigory Beskin (1811-1889) was a prominent Russian explorer and geographer who made significant contributions to the mapping and exploration of Siberia.
Another notable individual with the Beskin surname was Aleksey Beskin (1877-1942), a Russian sculptor and artist who was renowned for his intricate wood carvings and religious iconography. His works can be found in various museums and galleries throughout Russia.
Moving into the 20th century, Yuri Beskin (1921-1995) was a celebrated Soviet cinematographer and film director. He worked on numerous award-winning films and is considered a pioneer in the use of innovative camera techniques and lighting effects in Soviet cinema.
While the Beskin surname has its roots in Russia, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through immigration and diaspora communities. However, the name's origins and historical significance remain closely tied to its Russian heritage and the rich cultural tapestry of the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Beskin
Among Census respondents with the surname Beskin, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Beskin 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 Beskin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.7% · 102
- Hispanic or Latino7.3% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Beskin
Beskin 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
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-7 bearers (-5.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,356 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-10 bearers (-8.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,218 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #124,872 | 127 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-5.5%) | Down 14,356 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-8.3%) | Down 10,218 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 Beskin 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 | #139,228 | #149,446 | -7.3% |
| Count | 120 | 110 | -8.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Beskin bearers went from 120 to 110 (-8.3% change). The surname moved down 10,218 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #149,446.
FAQ
Beskin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Beskin?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Beskin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Beskin?
Beskin 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 Beskin. 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 Beskin.
Has Beskin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Beskin went from 120 recorded bearers to 110. That is a decrease of 10 (-8.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #139,228 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Beskin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Beskin, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.3%). 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 Beskin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.7% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Beskin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.7%), Hispanic (7.3%). 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 Beskin (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 Beskin mean?
A surname of Russian origin possibly derived from a word meaning "devilish" or "bedeviled". 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 Beskin (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 Beskin?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.