Explore the Family Name Begaye

The meaning of Begaye

Native American (Navajo): variant of Begay.

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Begaye showed an increase between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 19,436 in popularity but moved up to a rank of 18,090 in 2010, representing a 6.93% shift. The census also recorded an increase in the number of individuals bearing the surname from 1,287 in 2000 to 1,540 in 2010, marking a sizable change of 19.66%. Per every 100,000 people, the proportion with the Begaye name was 0.48 in 2000 and saw an uptick to 0.52 in 2010, reflecting an 8.33% increase.

20002010Change
Rank#19,436#18,0906.93%
Count1,2871,54019.66%
Proportion per 100k0.480.528.33%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Begaye

The ethnicity of those bearing the surname Begaye, according to the Decennial U.S. Census, is predominately American Indian and Alaskan Native, at 97.05% in 2000 and 95.65% in 2010, albeit showing a slight decrease of 1.44% over this period. Other ethnic identities associated with the name Begaye include Hispanic, which grew from 1.09% in 2000 to 2.21% in 2010, signifying a considerable 102.75% increase. Individuals who identified as two or more races also increased from 0.54% to 1.10%, a 103.70% rise. The percentage of white individuals with the surname Begaye decreased marginally from 0.93% to 0.91% during this decade, while there were no recorded cases of Asian/Pacific Islander or Black individuals with this surname.

20002010Change
American Indian and Alaskan Native97.05%95.65%-1.44%
Hispanic1.09%2.21%102.75%
Two or More Races0.54%1.1%103.7%
White0.93%0.91%-2.15%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0%0%
Black0%0%0%