History of your Surname
Get access to Began family records.Start a free trial

Began Family History

Began Name Meaning

Irish: from Ó Beagáin ‘descendant of Beagán’ a personal name from a diminutive of beag ‘small’. The name has been Anglicized as Little Lyttle and Littleton . Slovak (mainly Begáň also Begán): dialect variant of Behan a cognate of 3 below. Slovenian: nickname derived from beg ‘escape getaway’ or from begati ‘to run about’. This surname is very rare in Slovenia. Croatian: from the old personal name Began derived from begati ‘to flee to run away’. Alternatively a surname originating from the times of the Turkish occupation of the Balkans ultimately derived from the Turkish title of respect beg (see Beg ). This surname is very rare in Croatia; in North America it may hence also be a shortened form of the Croatian and Serbian patronymic Beganović (see Beganovic ).

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Beagan, Bergan, Degan, Begin, Beman, Bogan, Segan, Bega, Bean, Egan

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Began family from?

You can see how Began families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Began family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Began families were found in USA in 1920. In 1840 there were 2 Began families living in Pennsylvania. This was about 50% of all the recorded Began's in USA. Pennsylvania had the highest population of Began families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Began surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
Mapbox
© Mapbox © OpenStreetMap Improve this map

What did your Began ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Opertor were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Began. 20% of Began men worked as a Laborer and 15% of Began women worked as an Opertor. Some less common occupations for Americans named Began were Clerk and Clerk. .

View Census Data for Began | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    20%
  • Miner
    11%
  • Salesman
    11%
  • Clerk
    11%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Opertor
    15%
  • Teacher
    15%
  • Waitress
    12%
  • Clerk
    12%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Began family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 6,000 census records available for the last name Began. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Began census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Began

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Began. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Began immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 17,000 military records available for the last name Began. For the veterans among your Began ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Began military records

You've only scratched the surface of Began family history

Discover More

What is the average Began lifespan?

Between 1966 and 2004, in the United States, Began life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1996, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Began in 1966 was 58, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Began

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Began family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Began last name

Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial