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

Beck Family History

Beck Name Meaning

English: topographic name for someone who lived beside a stream from northern Middle English bekke ‘stream’ (Old Norse bekkr). English (of Norman origin): habitational name from any of various places in northern France named Bec for example Bec Hellouin in Eure named with Old Norman French bec ‘stream’ from the same Old Norse root as in 1 above. English: from the Middle English personal name Becke (Old English Becca or Beocca) of uncertain origin. English: probably a nickname for someone with a prominent nose from Middle English bek bekke ‘beak (of a bird)’ (Old French bec). German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): occupational name for a baker a cognate of Becker from (older) South German beck West Yiddish bek ‘baker’. Some Jewish bearers of the name claim that it is an acronym of Hebrew ben-kedoshim ‘son of martyrs’ i.e. a name taken by one whose parents had been martyred for being Jews. The German surname is also found in France (mainly Alsace and Lorraine) Hungary Czechia Slovakia and Croatia. Compare Bek North German and Dutch: topographic name for someone who lived by a stream from Low German beke Dutch beck ‘stream’. Compare the High German form Bach 1 and Dutch Bek 6.7: Danish and Norwegian: habitational name from a farmstead named Bekk Bæk or Bäck from Old Norse bekkr ‘stream brook’ denoting a farm by a stream.8: Swedish: variant of Bäck (see Back ). This surname may also be of German origin (see above).9: Americanized or Germanized form of Polish Rusyn Czech Croatian or Slovenian Bek in the last two languages a cognate of the German name in 5 above.

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


Similar surnames: Heck, Buck, Back, Bick, Peck, Berk, Eck, Rock, Boeck, Reck

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 Beck family from?

You can see how Beck families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Beck family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Beck families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 246 Beck families living in Pennsylvania. This was about 30% of all the recorded Beck's in USA. Pennsylvania had the highest population of Beck families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Beck surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Beck ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Beck. 13% of Beck men worked as a Farmer and 7% of Beck women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Beck were Truck Driver and Housekeeper. .

View Census Data for Beck | 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

  • Farmer
    13%
  • Laborer
    12%
  • Salesman
    6%
  • Truck Driver
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    7%
  • Stenographer
    7%
  • Teacher
    6%
  • Housekeeper
    6%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Beck family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 563,000 census records available for the last name Beck. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Beck census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Beck

Passenger Lists

There are 85,000 immigration records available for the last name Beck. 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 Beck immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 139,000 military records available for the last name Beck. For the veterans among your Beck ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Beck military records

You've only scratched the surface of Beck family history

Discover More

What is the average Beck lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Beck life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Beck in 1940 was 36, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Beck

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Beck family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Beck last name

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