Explore the Family Name Beckles

The meaning of Beckles

English (Sussex): habitational name from a place in Suffolk named Beccles, from Old English bec(e), bæce ‘stream’ + lǣs ‘meadow’, meaning ‘meadow by a stream’. Some characteristic forenames: Spanish Alphonso, Conrado, Mario, Berta, Carmelita, Rodolfo, Wilfredo, Yajaira.

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Beckles has seen a noticeable increase in popularity between 2000 and 2010. It rose from ranking 19,599th in 2000 to 17,111th in 2010, marking a positive change of 12.69%. The total count of individuals with this last name also experienced growth during this period, moving from 1,273 in 2000 to 1,658 in 2010, which represents an increase of 30.24%. Consequently, the proportion per 100,000 people also grew by 19.15%.

	2000	2010	Change
Rank	#19,599	#17,111	12.69%
Count	1,273	1,658	30.24%
Proportion per 100k	0.47	0.56	19.15%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Beckles

As for ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows that the overwhelming majority of those carrying the Beckles surname identified as Black, although the percentage dropped slightly from 84.05% in 2000 to 81.42% in 2010. There were also increases in the numbers identifying as White and Hispanic, rising by 65.91% and 37.46% respectively over the decade. Conversely, the percentage of those claiming two or more races decreased significantly by 51.90% in the same time frame. No individuals with this surname reported Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native ethnic identities in either year.

	2000	2010	Change
Black	84.05%	81.42%	-3.13%
Hispanic	5.66%	7.78%	37.46%
White	4.4%	7.3%	65.91%
Two or More Races	5.26%	2.53%	-51.9%
Asian/Pacific Islander	0%	0%	0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native	0%	0%	0%