NameCensus.

UK surname

Beckwith

From the Old English words "bēce" meaning brook and "worð" meaning enclosure, referring to someone who lived near a brook.

In the 1881 census there were 1,750 people recorded with the Beckwith surname, ranking it #2,470 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,356, ranked #2,778, down from #2,470 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Matthew Bethnal Green and Halstead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Eden, Rochford and Liverpool.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Beckwith is 2,509 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 34.6%.

1881 census count

1,750

Ranked #2,470

Modern count

2,356

2016, ranked #2,778

Peak year

1999

2,509 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Beckwith had 1,750 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,470 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,356 in 2016, ranked #2,778.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,261 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Beckwith surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Beckwith surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Beckwith 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 1,158 #2,435
1861 historical 949 #2,923
1881 historical 1,750 #2,470
1891 historical 1,812 #2,536
1901 historical 2,089 #2,568
1911 historical 2,261 #2,238
1997 modern 2,361 #2,645
1998 modern 2,470 #2,645
1999 modern 2,509 #2,628
2000 modern 2,448 #2,669
2001 modern 2,436 #2,616
2002 modern 2,478 #2,639
2003 modern 2,405 #2,654
2004 modern 2,396 #2,662
2005 modern 2,318 #2,705
2006 modern 2,277 #2,739
2007 modern 2,326 #2,723
2008 modern 2,356 #2,718
2009 modern 2,410 #2,721
2010 modern 2,473 #2,724
2011 modern 2,445 #2,719
2012 modern 2,353 #2,758
2013 modern 2,395 #2,762
2014 modern 2,398 #2,768
2015 modern 2,367 #2,777
2016 modern 2,356 #2,778

Geography

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Where Beckwiths are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Matthew Bethnal Green and Halstead. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Eden, Rochford, Liverpool, Bradford and Pendle. 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 Matthew Bethnal Green London (East Districts)
4 London parishes London 2
5 Halstead Essex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Eden 007 Eden
2 Rochford 001 Rochford
3 Liverpool 027 Liverpool
4 Bradford 004 Bradford
5 Pendle 003 Pendle

Forenames

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First names often paired with Beckwith

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Beckwith

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Beckwith surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Beckwith household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Beckwith is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Beckwith 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

Beckwith falls in decile 4 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Beckwith 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 Beckwith, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Beckwith

The surname Beckwith originated in England during the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from a place name referring to a brook or stream, with the Old English words "bece" meaning stream and "wið" meaning a small wood or thicket near water.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions a place called "Beckwith" in Yorkshire. This suggests that the surname likely emerged from this location.

During the 12th and 13th centuries, the name began appearing more frequently in historical records, particularly in the northern counties of England. Variations in spelling included Beckwith, Bekwith, and Beckworth.

Notable individuals bearing the Beckwith surname throughout history include Sir Roger Beckwith (c.1420-1492), a member of the Yorkist faction during the Wars of the Roses; Thomas Beckwith (1537-1586), an English clergyman and translator; and Josiah Beckwith (1733-1808), an American lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Continental Congress.

In the 18th century, the Beckwith family established itself as a prominent landowning family in Yorkshire, with their ancestral seat located at Feldkirk Hall near Thirlwall Castle, which was originally built by the Beckwiths in the 14th century. Sir Thomas Beckwith (1772-1831), a British army officer and diplomat, was born at Feldkirk Hall.

Another notable figure was John Beckwith (1789-1862), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars and later became a rear admiral. His son, John Beckwith (1815-1887), followed in his footsteps and also had a distinguished career in the Royal Navy.

The Beckwith surname continued to be found throughout England and later spread to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia, as individuals emigrated from Britain in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Beckwith families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Beckwith 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. Yorkshire leads with 594 Beckwiths recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.49x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 594 3.49x
Essex 250 7.37x
Middlesex 233 1.36x
Durham 201 3.93x
Surrey 127 1.52x
Lancashire 70 0.34x
Kent 49 0.84x
Norfolk 23 0.87x
Derbyshire 21 0.78x
Northumberland 19 0.74x
Hertfordshire 18 1.52x
Suffolk 17 0.81x
Northamptonshire 14 0.87x
Staffordshire 13 0.22x
Leicestershire 12 0.63x
Nottinghamshire 12 0.52x
Westmorland 12 3.18x
Isle of Man 11 3.45x
Sussex 9 0.31x
Cheshire 8 0.21x
Hampshire 6 0.17x
Pembrokeshire 6 1.10x
Gloucestershire 5 0.15x
Bedfordshire 4 0.45x
Cambridgeshire 4 0.37x
Carmarthenshire 4 0.55x
Shropshire 4 0.27x
Devon 3 0.08x
Berkshire 2 0.16x
Wiltshire 2 0.13x
Worcestershire 2 0.09x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.10x
Cornwall 1 0.05x
Fife 1 0.10x
Glamorgan 1 0.03x
Lanarkshire 1 0.02x
Oxfordshire 1 0.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leeds in Yorkshire leads with 135 Beckwiths recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.04x.

Place Total Index
Leeds 135 14.04x
Halstead 55 139.03x
Newington 53 8.35x
Hunslet 41 15.45x
Bethnal Green London 40 5.36x
Ripon 35 88.63x
Monkwearmouth 32 65.41x
Huddersfield 22 8.87x
Lewisham 21 6.72x
Tottenham 21 7.68x
Crook Billy Row 19 29.03x
Islington London 18 1.08x
Bishopwearmouth 17 3.88x
Westminster St James 17 9.63x
Bromley London 16 4.23x
Camberwell 16 1.46x
Rivenhall 16 394.09x
Wortley In Bramley 16 11.87x
Battersea 15 2.37x
Bow London 14 6.40x
Hackney London 14 1.45x
Hammersmith London 14 3.31x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 14 6.32x
Holbeck 14 12.41x
Middlesbrough 14 6.32x
Scarborough 14 9.05x
St Pancras London 13 0.94x
Castleford 12 19.36x
Emley 12 157.69x
St Andrew Holborn London 12 16.14x
Benfieldside 11 32.73x
Ranworth 11 621.47x
Rothwell 11 32.00x
Carlton Highdale 10 684.93x
Gateshead 10 2.61x
Great Bolton 10 3.70x
Kelvedon 10 110.62x
Kirklington With 10 684.93x
Southwark St John 10 19.03x
St George Hanover Square 10 3.30x
Tolleshunt D Arcy 10 207.04x
Farnworth 9 7.37x
Hedleyhope 9 101.69x
Lakenham 9 23.98x
Lambeth 9 0.60x
Northampton St Sepulchre 9 10.95x
Prittlewell 9 19.15x
Wanstead 9 15.16x
York St Mary 9 12.77x
Bermondsey 8 1.56x
Colchester St Leonard 8 73.33x
Easington In Guisbrough 8 211.08x
Embsay Cum Eastby 8 116.28x
Golcar 8 17.77x
Snaith Cowick 8 78.59x
Southminster 8 107.53x
Stanley Cum Wrenthorpe 8 10.12x
West Ham 8 1.07x
Wivenhoe 8 59.39x
Canvey Island 7 424.24x
Derby All Sts 7 31.17x
Derby St Werburgh 7 4.51x
Great Baddow 7 58.04x
Helmington Row 7 29.41x
Hipperholme Cum 7 9.36x
Linthorpe 7 6.89x
Little Bolton 7 2.67x
Mile End Old Town London 7 1.91x
Thornaby 7 11.00x
Tolleshunt Knights 7 259.26x
Toxteth Park 7 1.01x
West Clayton 7 82.84x
Whitley 7 84.75x
Darlington 6 3.04x
Headingley Cum Burley 6 5.48x
Melton 6 72.82x
Milford Haven 6 135.44x
Onchan 6 6.53x
Rochester St Margaret 6 9.71x
Whitwick 6 24.78x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 107
John 101
George 73
Thomas 60
James 54
Henry 36
Charles 30
Joseph 26
Arthur 25
Robert 21
Alfred 19
Albert 17
Walter 16
Edward 14
Frederick 13
Samuel 13
Richard 10
Benjamin 9
Francis 9
David 8
Ernest 7
Harry 7
Herbert 7
Matthew 6
Tom 6
Wm. 6
Fred 5
Anthony 4
Edwin 4
Emmerson 4
Frank 4
Peter 4
Thos. 4
Ambrose 3
Geo. 3
Jonathan 3
Percy 3
Willm. 3
Alexander 2
Andrew 2
Asa 2
Claude 2
Cuthbert 2
Earnest 2
Joshua 2
Mark 2
Norris 2
Robt. 2
Sidney 2
Willie 2

FAQ

Beckwith surname: questions and answers

How common was the Beckwith surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,750 people were recorded with the Beckwith surname. That placed it at #2,470 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Beckwith surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,356 in 2016. That gives Beckwith a modern rank of #2,778.

What does the Beckwith surname mean?

From the Old English words "bēce" meaning brook and "worð" meaning enclosure, referring to someone who lived near a brook.

What does the Beckwith map show?

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