Explore the Family Name Bec

The meaning of Bec

1. Slovenian: nickname from an archaic name for a small (Venetian) coin. Compare Betz. 2. Polish: unexplained. 3. French: nickname from bec ‘beak’, probably denoting a garrulous individual or someone with a prominent nose.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Bec in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Bec saw a considerable increase between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Bec was ranked 128,797 in terms of frequency but jumped to 86,645 in 2010, representing a change of approximately 32.73%. In terms of count, there were 122 individuals with this surname in 2000, which rose to 215 by 2010, marking an impressive growth of 76.23%. The proportion per 100k also increased from 0.05 in 2000 to 0.07 in 2010, a rise of 40%.

	2000	2010	Change
Rank	#128,797	#86,645	32.73%
Count	122	215	76.23%
Proportion per 100k	0.05	0.07	40%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Bec

When it comes to the ethnic identity associated with the surname Bec, data from the Decennial U.S. Census shows varied distribution over the years. In 2000, 65.57% of people with this surname identified as White, which slightly decreased to 63.26% by 2010. There was a small reduction within the Hispanic group, dropping from 29.51% in 2000 to 28.37% in 2010. Interestingly, there were no individuals identifying as Black or Asian/Pacific Islander in 2000. However, by 2010, these groups represented 4.19% and 2.79% respectively. There were no changes in the percentage of those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native, or those claiming two or more races.

	2000	2010	Change
White	65.57%	63.26%	-3.52%
Hispanic	29.51%	28.37%	-3.86%
Black	0%	4.19%	0%
Asian/Pacific Islander	0%	2.79%	0%
Two or More Races	0%	0%	0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native	0%	0%	0%