NameCensus.

UK surname

Beckett

Derived from a place name meaning "bee cottage" or "beehive-keeper's cottage" in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 5,971 people recorded with the Beckett surname, ranking it #737 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 10,079, ranked #636, up from #737 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Pancras and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Cambridgeshire, King's Lynn and West Norfolk and Aylesbury Vale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Beckett is 10,462 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 68.8%.

1881 census count

5,971

Ranked #737

Modern count

10,079

2016, ranked #636

Peak year

2010

10,462 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Beckett had 5,971 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #737 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 10,079 in 2016, ranked #636.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 8,778 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Beckett surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Beckett surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Beckett 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 3,272 #882
1861 historical 2,947 #980
1881 historical 5,971 #737
1891 historical 6,408 #715
1901 historical 8,247 #652
1911 historical 8,778 #559
1997 modern 9,769 #638
1998 modern 10,400 #617
1999 modern 10,423 #622
2000 modern 10,346 #622
2001 modern 10,113 #622
2002 modern 10,338 #625
2003 modern 10,060 #629
2004 modern 10,007 #632
2005 modern 9,829 #635
2006 modern 9,911 #626
2007 modern 9,957 #629
2008 modern 10,054 #627
2009 modern 10,294 #630
2010 modern 10,462 #631
2011 modern 10,360 #627
2012 modern 10,062 #637
2013 modern 10,198 #636
2014 modern 10,227 #638
2015 modern 10,150 #634
2016 modern 10,079 #636

Geography

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Where Becketts are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to East Cambridgeshire, King's Lynn and West Norfolk, Aylesbury Vale, Wakefield and Babergh. 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 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 St Pancras London (North Districts)
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Cambridgeshire 007 East Cambridgeshire
2 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 016 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
3 Aylesbury Vale 004 Aylesbury Vale
4 Wakefield 027 Wakefield
5 Babergh 004 Babergh

Forenames

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First names often paired with Beckett

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Beckett

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Beckett, 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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Beckett surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Beckett 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 comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Beckett is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Beckett is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Beckett falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Beckett 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 - British

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

Meaning and origin of Beckett

The surname Beckett originates from England and dates back to the 12th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "bec" meaning a stream or brook, and "hett" meaning a hunting area or wood. This suggests the name may have referred to someone who lived near a stream in a wooded area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, which mention a William Becket. The name also appears in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Becchet" and "Becchett", which were early spellings used in various regions.

In the 13th century, the name was found in various forms such as Becket, Bequet, and Beket in various parts of England, including Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire, and Yorkshire. These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and spelling differences at the time.

One notable figure with the surname Beckett was Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury who was murdered in 1170 after a dispute with King Henry II. This event brought significant attention to the name and may have contributed to its spread and popularity in subsequent centuries.

Other historical figures with the surname Beckett include Samuel Beckett (1906-1989), the Nobel Prize-winning Irish playwright and novelist known for works such as "Waiting for Godot" and "Endgame". William Beckett (1684-1738) was an English surgeon and anatomist who made significant contributions to the study of embryology.

In the 16th century, the name was also associated with places like Becketts Park in Shropshire and Beckett Street in Bedford, further reinforcing its connection to geographic locations.

Throughout history, the Beckett surname has been found across various regions of England and has been borne by individuals from diverse backgrounds, including writers, clergymen, and scholars.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Beckett families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Beckett 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. Lancashire leads with 1,052 Becketts recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.52x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 1,052 1.52x
Yorkshire 806 1.40x
Middlesex 665 1.14x
Norfolk 406 4.54x
Cheshire 395 3.07x
Staffordshire 365 1.86x
Surrey 264 0.93x
Warwickshire 202 1.38x
Suffolk 195 2.75x
Nottinghamshire 132 1.68x
Lincolnshire 125 1.34x
Berkshire 113 2.59x
Kent 110 0.55x
Essex 106 0.92x
Buckinghamshire 105 2.98x
Hampshire 97 0.81x
Shropshire 79 1.57x
Wiltshire 67 1.30x
Oxfordshire 65 1.81x
Sussex 60 0.61x
Derbyshire 54 0.59x
Durham 53 0.31x
Gloucestershire 49 0.43x
Flintshire 42 2.68x
Hertfordshire 35 0.87x
Lanarkshire 33 0.18x
Leicestershire 29 0.45x
Renfrewshire 29 0.64x
Westmorland 23 1.80x
Cambridgeshire 22 0.60x
Devon 20 0.17x
Somerset 20 0.21x
Cumberland 14 0.28x
Cornwall 13 0.20x
Denbighshire 12 0.55x
Fife 12 0.35x
Bedfordshire 11 0.36x
Dumfriesshire 11 0.86x
Northumberland 11 0.13x
Glamorgan 10 0.10x
Northamptonshire 8 0.15x
Worcestershire 7 0.09x
Pembrokeshire 6 0.32x
Argyllshire 5 0.31x
Caernarfonshire 3 0.13x
Monmouthshire 3 0.07x
Perthshire 3 0.11x
Stirlingshire 3 0.14x
Dorset 2 0.05x
Dunbartonshire 2 0.13x
Huntingdonshire 2 0.17x
Anglesey 1 0.10x
Angus 1 0.02x
Ayrshire 1 0.02x
Cardiganshire 1 0.07x
Herefordshire 1 0.04x
Isle of Man 1 0.09x
Merionethshire 1 0.09x
Montgomeryshire 1 0.08x
Royal Navy 1 0.14x
Rutland 1 0.23x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Pancras London in Middlesex leads with 106 Becketts recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.26x.

Place Total Index
St Pancras London 106 2.26x
Manchester 94 3.03x
Blackburn 80 4.35x
Great Yarmouth 77 10.38x
Aston 70 1.73x
Birmingham 70 1.43x
Preston 63 3.41x
Salford 55 2.71x
Hackney London 53 1.62x
Over Darwen 52 9.42x
Islington London 49 0.87x
Chelmsford 47 23.84x
West Bromwich 47 4.18x
Stoke Upon Trent 46 2.21x
Ecclesall Bierlow 45 3.83x
Sheffield 43 2.34x
Everton 41 1.86x
Clerkenwell London 39 2.84x
Lambeth 39 0.77x
Lancaster 39 9.49x
Lowestoft 38 11.34x
Nether Hallam 38 4.87x
Leeds 37 1.14x
Hammersmith London 33 2.30x
Wolstanton 33 5.53x
Kimberworth 32 9.99x
Sculcoates 32 3.50x
Woodton 32 335.78x
Tranmere 30 6.35x
Bethnal Green London 28 1.11x
Liverpool 28 0.67x
Walsall Foreign 28 2.76x
Battersea 27 1.26x
Hindon 27 244.57x
Old Stratford 27 32.48x
Wolstanton Knutton 27 22.50x
Kirkdale 25 2.15x
Reymerstone 25 413.91x
West Ham 25 0.99x
Bridlington 24 18.17x
Chorlton On Medlock 24 2.19x
Kensington London 24 0.74x
St Marylebone London 24 0.77x
Bolton Le Sands 23 146.87x
Great Grimsby 23 3.89x
Shoreditch London 23 0.91x
Toxteth Park 23 0.98x
Govan 22 0.47x
Newcastle Under Lyme 22 6.33x
Portsea 22 0.94x
St George Hanover Square 22 2.14x
Warrington 22 2.69x
Bilston 21 5.51x
Camberwell 21 0.56x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 20 1.86x
Bronington 20 148.04x
Ecclesfield 20 4.73x
Newton In Northwich 20 51.12x
Barnsley 19 3.19x
Brightside Bierlow 19 1.68x
Farndon 19 136.20x
Hulme 19 1.32x
Newark Upon Trent 19 6.74x
Wolverhampton 19 1.26x
Clapham 18 2.47x
Doncaster 18 4.27x
Ellesmere 18 20.85x
Monks Coppenhall 18 3.71x
Pendleton In Salford 18 2.19x
Stretford 18 4.74x
Westminster St Margaret 18 6.41x
Ardsley 17 25.57x
Audley 17 8.74x
Beedon 17 263.98x
Knottingley 17 16.77x
Walcot 17 3.41x
Walton Le Dale 17 9.16x
Wortley In Bramley 17 3.72x
Great Bolton 16 1.75x
West Derby 16 0.79x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 394
Elizabeth 233
Sarah 229
Ann 118
Eliza 115
Jane 115
Alice 97
Emma 96
Ellen 89
Hannah 75
Annie 69
Emily 67
Martha 50
Harriet 49
Margaret 49
Florence 44
Ada 39
Maria 39
Edith 37
Fanny 34
Louisa 34
Charlotte 32
Clara 28
Kate 27
Caroline 25
Anne 24
Catherine 23
Lucy 23
Rose 23
Agnes 22
Frances 22
Harriett 22
Isabella 22
Esther 20
Amelia 16
Laura 15
Susan 15
Gertrude 14
Grace 13
Rosa 13
Sophia 12
Jessie 11
Matilda 11
Nancy 11
Anna 10
Eleanor 10
Rachel 10
Rebecca 10
Susannah 10
Amy 9

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 383
William 368
Thomas 224
George 213
James 198
Charles 121
Henry 101
Joseph 80
Robert 77
Arthur 69
Alfred 64
Samuel 64
Edward 62
Richard 51
Walter 49
Frederick 48
Albert 45
Harry 44
Frank 23
Ernest 21
Francis 21
Edwin 20
Herbert 20
Thos. 13
Benjamin 12
Ambrose 11
Geo. 11
Peter 11
David 10
Fred 10
Wm. 10
Allen 9
Stephen 9
Christopher 8
Chas. 6
Fredk. 6
Hugh 6
Isaac 6
Reginald 6
Abraham 5
Eli 5
Enoch 5
Fredrick 5
Oliver 5
Allan 4
Andrew 4
Harold 4
Leonard 4
Saml. 4
Tom 4

FAQ

Beckett surname: questions and answers

How common was the Beckett surname in 1881?

In 1881, 5,971 people were recorded with the Beckett surname. That placed it at #737 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Beckett surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 10,079 in 2016. That gives Beckett a modern rank of #636.

What does the Beckett surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "bee cottage" or "beehive-keeper's cottage" in Old English.

What does the Beckett map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Beckett 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.