2000
#75,466
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 238
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.09
Very Rare Last name
Becotte
A French surname derived from the Old French word "becot", referring to a bird's beak or point.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 268 Americans carry the last name Becotte. That puts it at #85,854 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,278,934 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Becotte 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
268
1 in 1,278,934
Census rank
#85,854
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
234
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 234 bearers of the surname Becotte in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 85854th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Becotte, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Becotte
The surname "BECOTTE" is believed to have originated in France during the Middle Ages. It is thought to be derived from the Old French word "becot," which means "little beak" or "small snout." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a nickname to someone with a distinctive nose or facial feature resembling a beak.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "BECOTTE" can be found in the Normandy region of France during the 13th century. In a manuscript dated 1274, a landowner named Jacques Becotte is mentioned as owning a small parcel of land near the village of Caudebec-lès-Elbeuf.
In the 14th century, the name appears in several tax records and census documents in the northern French provinces. For example, a certain Jehan Becotte is listed as a resident of the town of Amiens in 1362.
As the name spread across France, it underwent various spelling variations, such as "Becot," "Beccot," and "Becquot." These variations reflect the regional dialects and scribal practices of the time.
One notable bearer of the name "BECOTTE" was Jean-Baptiste Becotte, a French soldier and explorer who lived during the 17th century (1628-1689). He is known for participating in the exploration of the Great Lakes region of North America and establishing trade routes with Native American tribes.
Another historical figure with this surname was Marie-Louise Becotte (1710-1782), a French author and playwright who wrote several popular plays and novels during the Enlightenment period.
In the 19th century, the name "BECOTTE" gained some prominence in the arts and literature. Pierre-Auguste Becotte (1819-1887) was a renowned French painter known for his landscapes and portraits, while Émile Becotte (1835-1901) was a respected poet and journalist.
During the same period, the name also appeared in the United States, likely carried by French immigrants. One early American bearer was Jacques Becotte (1792-1867), a farmer and landowner who settled in the state of Louisiana in the early 1800s.
While the surname "BECOTTE" is not exceedingly common today, it continues to be found in various parts of France, as well as in regions with significant French cultural influence, such as Quebec, Canada, and parts of the United States.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Becotte
Among Census respondents with the surname Becotte, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Becotte 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 Becotte surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.9% · 222
- Two or more races3.0% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Becotte
Becotte 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
#78,316
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 244
+6 bearers (+2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Down 2,850 places
2020
#85,854
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 234
-10 bearers (-4.1%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Down 7,538 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #75,466 | 238 | 0.09 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #78,316 | 244 | 0.08 | +6 bearers (+2.5%) | Down 2,850 places |
| 2020 | #85,854 | 234 | 0.08 | -10 bearers (-4.1%) | Down 7,538 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 Becotte 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 | #78,316 | #85,854 | -9.6% |
| Count | 244 | 234 | -4.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.08 | 0.08 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Becotte bearers went from 244 to 234 (-4.1% change). The surname moved down 7,538 positions in the national ranking, going from #78,316 to #85,854.
FAQ
Becotte surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Becotte?
Name Census estimates that about 268 living Americans carry the surname Becotte. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,278,934 residents.
How common is Becotte?
Becotte ranks #85,854 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.08 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 234 people with the surname Becotte. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (268), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.08 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 Becotte.
Has Becotte become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Becotte went from 244 recorded bearers to 234. That is a decrease of 10 (-4.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #78,316 to #85,854.
What does the Census say about the background of Becotte?
Among Census respondents with the surname Becotte, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Becotte in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.9% (222 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Becotte appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.9%), Two or More Races (3.0%), Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Becotte (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 Becotte mean?
A French surname derived from the Old French word "becot", referring to a bird's beak or point. 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 Becotte (0.08 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 Americans have the surname Becotte?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.