Explore the Family Name Bean
The meaning of Bean
1. English: nickname for a pleasant person, from Middle English bēne ‘friendly, amiable’. 2. English: metonymic occupational name for a grower or seller of beans, from Middle English bene ‘bean’ (Old English bēan ‘beans’, a collective singular). The broad bean, Vicia faba, was a staple food in Europe in the Middle Ages. The green bean, Phaseolus vulgaris, came from South America and was not introduced to Europe until the late 16th century. The word bene was commonly used to denote something of little worth, and occasionally it may have been applied as a nickname for someone considered insignificant. 3. English: possibly a habitational or topographic name. Redmonds, Dictionary of Yorkshire Surnames, cites Adam del Bene of Harrogate (1351) as evidence to suggest that in the Harrogate area, where the Yorkshire name later proliferated, it may have been derived from a place where beans grew. 4. English: perhaps a variant of Benn. Compare Benney. 5. Scottish and Irish: shortened Anglicized form of the patronymic Mac B(h)eathain ‘son of Beathán’, from the Gaelic personal name Beathán, a diminutive of beatha ‘life’, see McBain. In Ireland Bean is also found also a shortened form of Ó Beachain, see Behan. 6. Americanized form (translation into English) of German Bohne, or an altered form of Biehn. See also Bihn. 7. Americanized form (mistranslation into English) of French Lefebvre. As the vocabulary word fèvre ‘smith’ was replaced by forgeron in modern French, the meaning of the old word for a smith became opaque, and the surname was reinterpreted as if it were La fève, from fève ‘bean’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Bean in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname "Bean" saw a slight decrease between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it ranked as the 846th most popular surname, but by 2010 it had slipped to the 926th spot, indicating a change of -9.46%. However, despite its drop in rank, the actual count of individuals with this surname increased slightly from 37,145 in 2000 to 37,571 in 2010, marking a modest growth of 1.15%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #846 | #926 | -9.46% |
| Count | 37,145 | 37,571 | 1.15% |
| Proportion per 100k | 13.77 | 12.74 | -7.48% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Bean
In terms of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals some shifts in the ethnic identity associated with the surname "Bean". In 2000, the largest percentage was attributed to White ethnicity at 83.01%, which slightly decreased to 80.83% by 2010. The Hispanic representation saw the most significant increase, jumping from 1.45% in 2000 to 2.48% in 2010. Additionally, there was a small increase in the Asian/Pacific Islander category, growing from 0.45% to 0.57%. Black representation also grew from 12.77% to 13.42%, while those identifying with two or more races increased from 1.48% in 2000 to 1.79% in 2010. Representation for American Indian and Alaskan Native remained relatively stable, showing a minor increase from 0.86% to 0.91%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 83.01% | 80.83% | -2.63% |
| Black | 12.77% | 13.42% | 5.09% |
| Hispanic | 1.45% | 2.48% | 71.03% |
| Two or More Races | 1.48% | 1.79% | 20.95% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.86% | 0.91% | 5.81% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.45% | 0.57% | 26.67% |
Bean ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Bean is British & Irish, which comprises 52.3% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (24.7%) and Scandinavian (4.1%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Nigerian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 52.3% |
| French & German | 24.7% |
| Scandinavian | 4.1% |
| Other | 18.9% |
Possible origins of the surname Bean
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Bean have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 86.10% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 86.10% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 86.00% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 85.90% |
| Lancashire, United Kingdom | 85.80% |
What Bean haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Bean is R-Z16294, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-Z16294 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-P311 and R-L21, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Carroll, Hart, Kirk, Welch, Webb, Evans, Thomas, Davis, Williams, Brown.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Bean surname are: H1, H, V. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Bean have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Bean" Surname 43.9%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Bean" Surname 28.9%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Bean" Surname 20.8%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Bean" Surname 20.6%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Bean?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Bean are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition