Explore the Family Name Beckley
The meaning of Beckley
1. English: habitational name from any of the places so named in Oxfordshire and Sussex, from the Old English byname Becca (see Beck 3) + Old English lēah ‘woodland clearing’. 2. English: variant of Bickley. 3. Americanized form of South German Bächle (see Baechle) and of its Swiss German cognate Bächli. 4. Americanized form of South German Böckle (see Bock) and of its Swiss German cognate Böckli, and possibly also of North German Böckler, an occupational name for a buckle maker or carrier, Middle Low German bokeler. Compare Bakley and Begley. History: Richard Beckley was one of the free planters who assented to the ‘Fundamental Agreement’ of the New Haven Colony on June 4, 1639.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Beckley in the United States?
The surname "Beckley" has seen a slight decrease in popularity over the decade from 2000 to 2010, according to data based on the Decennial U.S. Census. In 2000, it was ranked as the 6034th most popular surname, dropping to the 6291st position in 2010. This represents a decline of about 4.26%. However, despite its dip in rank, the actual count of people bearing the surname increased by 3.47% during this period, rising from 5247 in 2000 to 5429 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #6,034 | #6,291 | -4.26% |
| Count | 5,247 | 5,429 | 3.47% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.95 | 1.84 | -5.64% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Beckley
In terms of ethnic identity, individuals with the surname "Beckley" showed a diverse range. Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the majority identified as White, although there was a small drop from 83.25% in 2000 to 80.00% in 2010. The Black community saw an increase from 12.62% to 14.15%, while the Hispanic representation also grew, albeit from a smaller base, from 1.52% to 2.39%. The number of people identifying with two or more races increased significantly by approximately 75.38%. There was also a modest rise among those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, increasing from 0.67% to 0.74%. Conversely, the percentage of those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native decreased by 32.31%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 83.25% | 80% | -3.9% |
| Black | 12.62% | 14.15% | 12.12% |
| Hispanic | 1.52% | 2.39% | 57.24% |
| Two or More Races | 1.3% | 2.28% | 75.38% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.67% | 0.74% | 10.45% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.65% | 0.44% | -32.31% |
Beckley 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 Beckley is British & Irish, which comprises 44.4% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (28.2%) and Eastern European (5.6%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Spanish & Portuguese, Italian, Nigerian, and Ashkenazi Jewish.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 44.4% |
| French & German | 28.2% |
| Eastern European | 5.6% |
| Other | 21.7% |
Possible origins of the surname Beckley
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 Beckley have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 83.30% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 83.30% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 83.30% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 83.30% |
| Lancashire, United Kingdom | 82.60% |
What Beckley 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 Beckley is R-U152, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-U152 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and R-L46, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Pruitt, Bradshaw, Hoskins, Randolph, Brink, Talbott, Landers, Rowley, Tait, Millard.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Beckley surname are: H1, K1a, H. 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 Beckley 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.
"Beckley" Surname 45.1%
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.
"Beckley" Surname 21.1%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Beckley" Surname 29.0%
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.
"Beckley" Surname 18.7%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Beckley?
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 Beckley are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition