NameCensus.

UK surname

Becker

An occupational surname referring to a baker or someone who bakes and sells bread and pastries.

In the 1881 census there were 378 people recorded with the Becker surname, ranking it #8,288 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,292, ranked #4,633, up from #8,288 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St George in the East, London parishes and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Breckland, Bradford and Camden.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Becker is 1,333 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 241.8%.

1881 census count

378

Ranked #8,288

Modern count

1,292

2016, ranked #4,633

Peak year

2014

1,333 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Becker had 378 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,288 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,292 in 2016, ranked #4,633.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 853 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Becker surname distribution map

The map shows where the Becker surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Becker surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Becker over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 115 #15,634
1861 historical 208 #11,642
1881 historical 378 #8,288
1891 historical 473 #7,758
1901 historical 793 #5,686
1911 historical 853 #5,199
1997 modern 1,121 #4,988
1998 modern 1,190 #4,918
1999 modern 1,216 #4,865
2000 modern 1,208 #4,870
2001 modern 1,158 #4,963
2002 modern 1,220 #4,835
2003 modern 1,174 #4,895
2004 modern 1,187 #4,858
2005 modern 1,218 #4,694
2006 modern 1,242 #4,637
2007 modern 1,223 #4,741
2008 modern 1,233 #4,735
2009 modern 1,244 #4,795
2010 modern 1,314 #4,663
2011 modern 1,311 #4,607
2012 modern 1,297 #4,582
2013 modern 1,327 #4,565
2014 modern 1,333 #4,574
2015 modern 1,311 #4,595
2016 modern 1,292 #4,633

Geography

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Where Beckers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St George in the East, London parishes, St Pancras and St Dunstan Stepney. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Breckland, Bradford, Camden, Castle Point and Chichester. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 St George in the East London (East Districts)
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 St Dunstan Stepney London (East Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Breckland 011 Breckland
2 Bradford 023 Bradford
3 Camden 008 Camden
4 Castle Point 009 Castle Point
5 Chichester 013 Chichester

Forenames

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First names often paired with Becker

These lists show first names that appear often with the Becker surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Becker

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Becker, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Becker surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Becker household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Becker is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Becker is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Becker falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Becker is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

This describes the area pattern most associated with Becker, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Becker

The surname Becker originated from the German language, and its earliest roots can be traced back to the Middle Ages in Germany. The name is derived from the Old German word "bach," which means "stream" or "brook," and the occupational term "becker," which referred to a baker.

In the early medieval period, the name was often written as "Beckere" or "Beckher," reflecting the phonetic spelling of the time. As the surname evolved, it became associated with individuals who lived near a stream or worked as bakers, or both.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Becker can be found in the Heidelberg Manuscript, a 13th-century document that lists several individuals with the surname. In the 14th century, a prominent figure named Johannes Becker was mentioned in the records of the city of Cologne.

The surname Becker also appears in the Berne Shilling Book, a medieval tax register from the city of Berne, Switzerland, dating back to the early 15th century. This suggests that the name had spread beyond the borders of Germany by that time.

During the Renaissance period, several notable individuals bore the surname Becker. One such person was Cornelius Becker (1561-1604), a Dutch cartographer and engraver who created some of the earliest detailed maps of the Netherlands.

Another significant figure was Johann Philipp Becker (1638-1711), a German composer and organist who served as the Kapellmeister (music director) at the court of the Dukes of Saxe-Gotha.

In the 18th century, Georg Becker (1719-1783), a German jurist and philosopher, gained recognition for his work on natural law and the philosophy of law.

Moving into the 19th century, a notable bearer of the Becker surname was Nikolaus Becker (1809-1845), a German revolutionary and poet who was involved in the failed Revolutions of 1848-1849.

In the United States, John Becker (1830-1904) was a prominent figure in the labor movement and co-founded the International Typographical Union, one of the earliest national labor unions in the country.

These are just a few examples of the many individuals throughout history who have carried the surname Becker, a name with deep roots in German culture and tradition.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Becker families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Becker surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 182 Beckers recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.92x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 182 4.92x
Surrey 54 3.00x
Lancashire 21 0.48x
Kent 20 1.59x
Devon 14 1.82x
Durham 11 1.00x
Midlothian 9 1.82x
Glamorgan 8 1.24x
Essex 6 0.82x
Norfolk 6 1.06x
Berkshire 5 1.80x
Hampshire 5 0.66x
Lincolnshire 5 0.85x
Somerset 5 0.84x
Sussex 5 0.80x
Yorkshire 5 0.14x
Monmouthshire 3 1.12x
Suffolk 3 0.67x
Warwickshire 3 0.32x
Channel Islands 2 1.83x
Lanarkshire 2 0.17x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.45x
Cheshire 1 0.12x
Gloucestershire 1 0.14x
Hertfordshire 1 0.39x
Staffordshire 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St George In East London in Middlesex leads with 24 Beckers recorded in 1881 and an index of 69.03x.

Place Total Index
St George In East London 24 69.03x
Mile End Old Town London 21 26.69x
Penge 18 76.21x
St Pancras London 14 4.70x
Hackney London 13 6.27x
Islington London 12 3.35x
Lambeth 10 3.10x
Paddington London 10 7.36x
St Marylebone London 10 5.07x
Kensington London 9 4.38x
Duddingston 8 80.48x
Shoreditch London 8 4.99x
St Anne Soho London 8 37.90x
Camberwell 7 2.96x
Plymouth St Andrew 7 11.81x
Tiverton 7 52.79x
Colchester St Botolph 6 96.62x
Dover St James 6 108.50x
Great Yarmouth 6 12.74x
Roath 6 20.52x
Westoe 6 9.62x
Whitechapel London 6 16.47x
Battersea 5 3.68x
Liverpool 5 1.88x
Poplar London 5 7.17x
Reading St Mary 5 22.49x
Tottenham 5 8.49x
Bath St James 4 64.41x
Bow London 4 8.50x
Brighton 4 3.18x
Charlton Next Woolwich 4 30.42x
Chorlton On Medlock 4 5.74x
Wandsworth 4 11.24x
Esher 3 119.05x
Hillingdon 3 25.45x
Holbeach 3 45.59x
Limehouse London 3 7.39x
Shadwell London 3 28.99x
Southwark St George Martyr 3 4.03x
St Woollos 3 10.06x
Sunderland 3 15.45x
Westminster St Margaret 3 16.83x
Birmingham 2 0.64x
Canterbury St Mildred 2 66.89x
Cardiff St Mary 2 5.64x
Chadderton 2 9.32x
Ealing 2 6.05x
Great Grimsby 2 5.33x
Hornsey 2 4.28x
Hoxne 2 156.25x
Lewisham 2 2.97x
Norwood 2 23.67x
Rusholme 2 17.09x
Shanklin 2 88.50x
St George Hanover Square 2 3.07x
St Saviour 2 33.00x
Sunbury 2 45.05x
Tonbridge 2 4.40x
Aldershot 1 3.94x
Castleton 1 2.28x
Clerkenwell London 1 1.15x
Croydon 1 1.00x
Dewsbury 1 2.66x
Esh 1 12.50x
Finchley 1 7.06x
Hart 1 37.31x
Hayes 1 113.64x
Hove 1 3.66x
Ilkley 1 16.69x
Inveresk 1 7.46x
Layton With Warbreck 1 6.21x
Leeds 1 0.48x
North Meols 1 2.33x
Orell Ford 1 123.46x
Reddish 1 16.56x
Sheffield 1 0.86x
St Andrew Holborn London 1 6.25x
St Paul Covent Garden 1 27.03x
Toxteth Park 1 0.67x
Woodchester 1 86.96x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Becker surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Becker surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 14
Henry 13
George 11
Charles 9
William 9
Joseph 8
Albert 5
Edward 5
Frederick 4
Alfred 3
Anton 3
Chas. 3
Christian 3
Frank 3
Johann 3
Julius 3
Louis 3
Otto 3
Wm. 3
Edwin 2
Harry 2
Herman 2
Jacob 2
James 2
Martin 2
Percy 2
Philip 2
Phillip 2
Robert 2
Thomas 2
Walter 2
Arthur 1
Bernard 1
Carl 1
Casper 1
Conrad 1
Dietrick 1
Emil 1
Ernest 1
Ferdinand 1
Francis 1
Francois 1
Francy 1
Franz 1
Heinrick 1
Herbert 1
Hermann 1
Horatio 1
Hubert 1
Hugh 1

FAQ

Becker surname: questions and answers

How common was the Becker surname in 1881?

In 1881, 378 people were recorded with the Becker surname. That placed it at #8,288 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Becker surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,292 in 2016. That gives Becker a modern rank of #4,633.

What does the Becker surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a baker or someone who bakes and sells bread and pastries.

What does the Becker map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Becker bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.