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Show ContentsBeck History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
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Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

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Nestled between the Rhine and Wesser rivers is the ancient German region of Westphalia. Westphalia, the home of the name Beck. Hereditary surnames were adopted in this region after the 12th century, and surnames were derived from localities were common. Local surnames originally denoted the proprietorship of the village or estate. When coupled with the German preposition von, which means from or of, local names can indicate that the initial bearer of the name was an aristocrat. The Beck family originally lived in northern or southern Germany.

In the north, the name was derived from the German word "bach" or "beke" which mean "stream," meaning the original bearer of this surname lived by a stream or a brook.

To the south, the name was an occupational name for a "baker."1 As a baker, or perhaps the son of one, he held a unique position in the village and could afford an oven for which the primary activity was using that oven to make bread, perhaps often baking dough brought to him by other town folk who did not have access to an oven.

Early Origins of the Beck family

The surname Beck was first found in Westphalia, where the name emerged in mediaeval times as that of a notable family in the region. German archives include a document from as early as the year 1245 wherein is mentioned one Simon Bek, who was then a citizen of Leipzig.

Early History of the Beck family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Beck research. Another 99 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1489, 1676, 1722, 1731, 1757, 1761, 1780, 1809, 1832 and 1840 are included under the topic Early Beck History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Beck Spelling Variations

One can encounter great variation in the spelling of surnames: in early times, spelling in general, and thus the spelling of names was not yet standardized; and later, spellings would change with branching and movement of families. Variations of the name Beck include Beck, Bech, Bech, Beche, Becke, Bec, Becce and many more.

Early Notables of the Beck family

Notables of the period with the name Beck were

  • Johann Georg Beck or Johann Georg Baek (1676-1722), a German engraver; Christian Daniel Beck (1757-1832), who was a well-known scholar of Latin and Greek; Jakob Sigismund Beck (1761-1840) was a Danzig...
  • Franz Beck, born at Mannheim 1731, died at Bourdeaux 1809, violinist and composer. When quite young he took refuge in Paris from the effects of a duel, and thence removed to Bourdeaux. Here he became...

Beck World Ranking

In the United States, the name Beck is the 299th most popular surname with an estimated 92,019 people with that name. 2 However, in Canada, the name Beck is ranked the 709th most popular surname with an estimated 7,502 people with that name. 3 And in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Beck is the 507th popular surname with an estimated 92 people with that name. 4 France ranks Beck as 566th with 8,269 people. 5 Australia ranks Beck as 613rd with 6,382 people. 6 New Zealand ranks Beck as 645th with 1,115 people. 7 The United Kingdom ranks Beck as 641st with 10,222 people. 8

United States Beck migration to the United States +

Many Germans emigrated across the Atlantic to seek better lives in North America. This great migration began in the middle of the 17th century and continued into the 20th century. Resettlement was particularly attractive to those from Westphalia as a means of escape from poverty and religious persecution. For many Westphalian farmers, the chance to own one's own land was also a major incentive. The process of the widespread colonization of the United States began in 1650, when many immigrants from Germany settled in pockets in Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. In Canada, German settlements centered around Ontario and the Prairie provinces. Among them were:

Beck Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Alexander Beck, who landed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1634 9
  • Henry Beck, who arrived in Maine in 1635 aboard the ship "Angel Gabriel" 9
  • Mr. Henry Beck, aged 18, who arrived aboard the ship "Blessing" in 1635 10
  • Richard Beck, who arrived in Virginia in 1639 9
  • James Beck, who landed in Virginia in 1651 9
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Beck Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Sarah Beck, who arrived in Virginia in 1702 9
  • Simon Beck, who landed in New York in 1709 9
  • Thobias Beck, who landed in New York in 1709 9
  • Andreas Frid Beck, who arrived in New York in 1709 9
  • Adreas Friderich Beck, who landed in New York, NY in 1710 9
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Beck Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Johan Andreas Beck, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1803 9
  • Margaret Beck, aged 24, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1804 9
  • Josuas Beck, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1805 9
  • John G Beck, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1806 9
  • Jacob F Beck, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1806 9
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canada Beck migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Beck Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Magdelena Beck, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1757
  • Maria Beck, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1757
  • Michel Beck, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1757
  • Mr. John Beck U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1783 11
Beck Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Henry Beck of St. Lawrence, Newfoundland, who captured a French banker, in 1814 12
  • Thomas Beck was residing in St. John's Newfoundland in 1821 12
  • James Beck, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Robert Burns" in 1834
  • Miss. Margaret Beck, aged who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "New Zealand" departing 20th May 1847 from Newry, Ireland; the ship arrived on 3rd July 1847 but she died on board 13

Australia Beck migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Beck Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. George Beck, (b. 1791), aged 24, English printer who was convicted in Middlesex, England for life for burglary, transported aboard the "Fanny" on 25th August 1815, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he returned from transport and was resent out on the "John Barry" in 1819 14
  • Mr. Robert Beck, British Convict who was convicted in Bristol, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Coromandel" on 27th October 1819, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 15
  • Mr. Thomas Beck, British Convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for life, transported aboard the "Commodore Hayes" in April 1823, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 16
  • Louisa Beck, English convict from London, who was transported aboard the "Arab" on December 14, 1835, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 17
  • Daniel Beck, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Buckinghamshire" in 1839 18
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

New Zealand Beck migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Beck Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Benjamin Beck, Cornish settler travelling from Launceston, UK aboard the ship "Brazil Packet" arriving in New Zealand in 1836 19
  • Mrs. Elizabeth Beck, Cornish settler travelling from Launceston, UK aboard the ship "Brazil Packet" arriving in New Zealand in 1836 19
  • Mr. Henry Beck, Cornish settler travelling from Launceston, UK aboard the ship "Brazil Packet" arriving in New Zealand in 1836 19
  • Mr. John Beck, Cornish settler travelling from Launceston, UK aboard the ship "Brazil Packet" arriving in New Zealand in 1836 19
  • Mrs. Mary Beck, Cornish settler travelling from Launceston, UK aboard the ship "Brazil Packet" arriving in New Zealand in 1836 19
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Beck Settlers in New Zealand in the 20th Century
  • Geoffrey Beck, aged 27, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "S. S. Waimana" in 1926

Contemporary Notables of the name Beck (post 1700) +

  • Geoffrey Arnold "Jeff" Beck (1944-2023), English rock guitarist ranked 14th in Rolling Stone Magazine's list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time"
  • Carson William "Bill" Beck (1962-2023), American politician, Member of the Tennessee House of Representatives (2015-2023)
  • Aaron T. Beck (1921-2021), American psychiatrist who identified Cognitive therapy, Beck Depression Inventory, co-founder of the Beck Institute for Cognitive Behavior Therapy
  • Stuart Jay Beck (1946-2016), American lawyer and a diplomat, Palauan Ambassador to Oceans and Seas (2013-2016)
  • Robert Nason Beck (1928-2008), American scientist and a pioneer in the field of nuclear medicine
  • Claude Schaeffer Beck (1894-1971), American cardiac surgeon who invented the defibrillator
  • Kimberly Beck (b. 1956), American actress, with over sixty television and film roles to her credit
  • Dave Beck (1894-1993), American labor leader, president of the Teamsters (1952-1957)
  • Helen Harriet Beck (1904-1979), birth name of Sally Rand, the burlesque dancer and actress, most noted for her ostrich feather fan dance and balloon bubble dance
  • Franz Ignaz Beck (1734-1809), German violinist, composer, conductor and music teacher
  • ... (Another 8 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Bismarck
  • Johann Beck (1912-1941), German M.A.Maat who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking 20
Halifax Explosion
  • Mr. Hiram  Beck (1892-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 21
Senghenydd colliery
  • Mr. William Edward Beck (b. 1870), Welsh coal miner from Nelson, Caerphilly, Wales who was working at the Senghenydd colliery when there was an explosion on the 14th October 1913; he died
USS Arizona
  • Mr. George Richard Beck, American Seaman First Class from California, USA working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he died in the sinking 22

Suggested Readings for the name Beck +

  • The Anton and Rosina Koenig Beck Family and Their Descendants 1844-1979 by Lillie Beck Wasserman.
  • The Beck-Reinemer Family Tree by Mrs. Clarence Beck.
  1. Bahlow, Hans, Dictionary of German Names. translated by Edda Gentry, Wisconsin: The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System, 2002. Print. (ISBN 0-924119-35-7)
  2. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  3. "Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
  4. The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
  5. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
  6. "Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
  7. "Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
  8. "UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
  9. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  10. Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's. Retrieved January 6th 2023 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
  11. Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
  12. Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
  13. Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 65)
  14. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 28th September 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/fairlie
  15. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 12th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel
  16. Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 4th March 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/commodore-hayes
  17. State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2015, January 8) Arab voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1835 with 132 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/arab/1835
  18. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) BUCKINGHAMSHIRE 1839. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1839Buckinghamshire.htm
  19. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  20. Bismarck & Tirpitz Class - Crew List Bismarck. (Retrieved 2018, February 06). Retrieved from https://www.bismarck-class.dk/bismarck/crew/bismarck_crew.html#crew_details
  21. Halifax Explosion Book of Remembrance | Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. (Retrieved 2014, June 23) . Retrieved from https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion/halifax-explosion-book-remembrance
  22. Pearl Harbour: USS Arizona Casualties List Pearl Harbour December 7, 1941. (Retrieved 2018, July 31st). Retrieved from http://pearl-harbor.com/arizona/casualtylist.html
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