2000
#127,948
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Beter
A surname derived from the Dutch word meaning "better" or "superior".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Beter. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Beter 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Beter in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Beter, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (13.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (11.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Beter
The surname Beter has its origins in the Netherlands, tracing back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Dutch word "beter," which means "better." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a descriptive nickname or referring to someone's positive attributes or improvement in circumstances.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Dutch province of Friesland, where records from the 1500s mention individuals with the surname Beter. The name was particularly prevalent in the towns of Leeuwarden and Harlingen, both important trading centers during that time.
In the late 16th century, a merchant named Pieter Beter (c. 1560-1625) was documented in the city of Amsterdam, where he was involved in the lucrative trade with the Dutch East Indies. His success and wealth contributed to the increasing prominence of the surname in the region.
As the Dutch established colonies and settlements around the world, the name Beter traveled with them. In the 17th century, records show instances of the name in the Dutch Cape Colony (present-day South Africa), where Jan Beter (c. 1620-1685) was among the early settlers.
In the 18th century, the Beter surname found its way to the Dutch colonies in the Caribbean, notably Curaçao and Suriname. One notable figure from this period was Willem Beter (1725-1789), a plantation owner and influential figure in the Dutch West Indies.
During the 19th century, as Dutch emigration to North America increased, the Beter surname began to appear in various parts of the United States and Canada. One of the earliest recorded instances was that of Hendrik Beter (1810-1878), who settled in New York City in the 1840s and established a successful import-export business.
Other notable individuals with the Beter surname throughout history include:
1. Gerrit Beter (1865-1941), a Dutch painter known for his landscapes and coastal scenes.
2. Anna Beter (1890-1964), a Norwegian author and journalist who wrote extensively on women's rights and social issues.
3. Johan Beter (1920-2005), a Dutch politician and member of the European Parliament.
4. Pieter Beter (1925-2011), a Dutch sculptor whose works can be found in public spaces throughout the Netherlands.
5. Katja Beter (born 1972), a German actress and television host.
While the Beter surname may not be among the most common globally, it has a rich history that spans several centuries and continents, reflecting the influence of the Dutch and their exploration and settlement around the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Beter
Among Census respondents with the surname Beter, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (13.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (11.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Beter 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 Beter surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White63.8% · 67
- Two or more races13.3% · 14
- Asian and Pacific Islander11.4% · 12
- Hispanic or Latino7.6% · 8
- Black or African American3.8% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Beter
Beter 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
#131,379
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 129
+6 bearers (+4.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,431 places
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-24 bearers (-18.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 21,610 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,948 | 123 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #131,379 | 129 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+4.9%) | Down 3,431 places |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | -24 bearers (-18.6%) | Down 21,610 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 Beter 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 | #131,379 | #152,989 | -16.4% |
| Count | 129 | 105 | -18.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Beter bearers went from 129 to 105 (-18.6% change). The surname moved down 21,610 positions in the national ranking, going from #131,379 to #152,989.
FAQ
Beter surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Beter?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Beter. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Beter?
Beter ranks #152,989 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 105 people with the surname Beter. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), 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 Beter.
Has Beter become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Beter went from 129 recorded bearers to 105. That is a decrease of 24 (-18.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #131,379 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Beter?
Among Census respondents with the surname Beter, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (13.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (11.4%). 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 Beter in the 2020 Census, accounting for 63.8% (67 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Beter appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (63.8%), Two or More Races (13.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (11.4%). 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 Beter (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 Beter mean?
A surname derived from the Dutch word meaning "better" or "superior". 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 Beter (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 Beter?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.