2000
#19,398
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,291
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.48
Rare Last name
Becht
A surname derived from the German word "Becht" meaning brook or stream.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,453 Americans carry the last name Becht. That puts it at #21,086 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.42 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 235,894 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Becht surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
1.5K
1 in 235,894
Census rank
#21,086
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,267 bearers of the surname Becht in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.42 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 21086th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Becht, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Becht
The surname Becht is of German origin, with its roots traced back to the Middle Ages. This name is believed to have originated in the regions of Bavaria and Württemberg, where it was likely derived from an old German word "Beche," meaning "brook" or "stream."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Becht can be found in the Württemberg Urbaren, a collection of medieval land records dating back to the 13th century. In these records, variations of the name, such as "Bechter" and "Bechten," appear, indicating its presence in the region during that time.
The name Becht is also linked to several place names in Germany, such as Bechtheim, a town in Rhineland-Palatinate, and Bechtolsheim, a municipality in Bavaria. These place names might have influenced the surname's formation or vice versa, reflecting the strong connection between surnames and geographic locations in German naming traditions.
In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the surname Becht was Johann Becht (1550-1618), a German Protestant theologian and reformer from Württemberg. He was a prominent figure in the Lutheran church and played a significant role in shaping the religious landscape of his time.
Another historical figure of note was Johann Philipp Becht (1638-1717), a German composer and organist from Darmstadt. He is known for his contributions to church music and his works for organ and harpsichord.
In the 19th century, Carl Becht (1804-1853) was a German painter and lithographer from Nuremberg. He is particularly known for his landscapes and architectural paintings, which captured the beauty of German cities and countryside.
The surname Becht also found its way to other parts of Europe and beyond. One notable example is Joachim Becht (1778-1840), a German-born American farmer and soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War.
Throughout the centuries, the surname Becht has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including artists, musicians, theologians, and soldiers, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who bear this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Becht
Among Census respondents with the surname Becht, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Becht bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Becht surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.5% · 1,185
- Two or more races2.8% · 36
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 33
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 8
- Black or African American0.2% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Becht
Becht appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#21,057
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,248
-43 bearers (-3.3%)
Per 100,000 0.42
Rank movement Down 1,659 places
2020
#21,086
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,267
+19 bearers (+1.5%)
Per 100,000 0.42
Rank movement Down 29 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #19,398 | 1,291 | 0.48 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #21,057 | 1,248 | 0.42 | -43 bearers (-3.3%) | Down 1,659 places |
| 2020 | #21,086 | 1,267 | 0.42 | +19 bearers (+1.5%) | Down 29 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Becht surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #21,057 | #21,086 | -0.1% |
| Count | 1,248 | 1,267 | 1.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.42 | 0.42 | 0.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Becht bearers went from 1,248 to 1,267 (+1.5% change). The surname moved down 29 positions in the national ranking, going from #21,057 to #21,086.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Becht
FAQ
Becht surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Becht?
Name Census estimates that about 1,453 living Americans carry the surname Becht. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 235,894 residents.
How common is Becht?
Becht ranks #21,086 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.42 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,267 people with the surname Becht. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,453), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.42 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.42 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Becht.
Has Becht become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Becht went from 1,248 recorded bearers to 1,267. That is an increase of 19 (+1.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #21,057 to #21,086.
What does the Census say about the background of Becht?
Among Census respondents with the surname Becht, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic (2.6%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Becht in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.5% (1,185 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Becht appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.5%), Two or More Races (2.8%), Hispanic (2.6%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Becht (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Becht mean?
A surname derived from the German word "Becht" meaning brook or stream. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Becht (0.42 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Becht?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.