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Beckett Family History

Beckett Surname Meaning

English and Irish (of Norman origin): nickname from Old French Middle English beket ‘small beak’ (a diminutive of Old French bec ‘beak or mouth’) perhaps with reference to someone with a small beak-like mouth or a prominent nose (compare Beck) though the Middle English word appears to have had a wide range of applications denoting ‘pointed objects’ including ‘corbel kind of arrow kind of bird’ and ‘kind of fish’. This surname is also found in Ireland especially in Antrim.

English: habitational name from any of the places called Beckett in Berkshire and Devon. The former is named with Old English bēo ‘bee’ + cot ‘cottage shelter’; the latter has as its first element the Old English personal name Bicca.

Altered form of Bequette, a surname of French origin.

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


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Where is the Beckett family from?

You can see how Beckett families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Beckett family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Beckett families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1840 there were 25 Beckett families living in Virginia. This was about 23% of all the recorded Beckett's in USA. Virginia had the highest population of Beckett families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Beckett surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Beckett ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Beckett. 19% of Beckett men worked as a Laborer and 7% of Beckett women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Beckett were Truck Driver and Clerk.

View Census Data for Beckett | 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
    19%
  • Farmer
    15%
  • Salesman
    6%
  • Truck Driver
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    7%
  • Stenographer
    6%
  • Maid
    6%
  • Clerk
    5%

What Beckett family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 180,000 census records available for the last name Beckett. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Beckett census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Beckett

Passenger Lists

There are 24,000 immigration records available for the last name Beckett. 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 Beckett immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 19,000 military records available for the last name Beckett. For the veterans among your Beckett ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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