Beckstead History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Netherlands
England
Germany

The roots of the Anglo-Saxon name Beckstead come from when the family resided in Sussex and Buckinghamshire. 1 The Beckstead surname is a habitational name derived from any of various places named Beckley, such as those in Kent, Oxfordshire, and Sussex. The place name Beckley comes from the Old English name becca with the Old English word leah, meaning a clearing in the forest. 2

Early Origins of the Beckstead family

The surname Beckstead was first found in Suffolk where Ralph de Beckele was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls for 1211. Later, Richard de Beckele was found in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1327 and later again, John Beklay was listed as a Freeman of York in 1446. 3

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 had two listings for the family: Thomas de Beckelegh, Oxfordshire; and Henry de Beckcle, Oxfordshire. 4

Early History of the Beckstead family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Beckstead research. Another 115 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1291, 1438, 1622, 1661, 1689 and 1753 are included under the topic Early Beckstead History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Beckstead Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Beckstead has been recorded under many different variations, including Beckley, Beckly, Bistley, Bickley and others.

Early Notables of the Beckstead family

Distinguished members of the family include William Beckley (died 1438), an English Carmelite, born in Kent, probably in the neighbourhood of Sandwich, where he appears to have entered the order of the Carmelites in early life. While still young he proceeded to Cambridge, where the Carmelites had a house since the year 1291. Here he seems to have taken his doctor's degree in divinity, and to have established a considerable reputation as a theologian. Bale...
Another 74 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Beckstead Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Beckstead Ranking

In the United States, the name Beckstead is the 10,673^rd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 5

Beckstead migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Beckstead or a variant listed above:

Beckstead Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Margaret Beckstead, who arrived in Utah in 1848
Cathrine L. Beckstead, who arrived in Utah in 1849
Gordan Silas Beckstead, who arrived in Utah in 1849

Contemporary Notables of the name Beckstead (post 1700) +

Darin Beckstead, American filmmaker who has directed films, including Courage & Stupidity and Somebody's Hero
Alexander Beckstead (1802-1870), Canadian-born, American early pioneer settler in Utah, and prominent member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Alex Beckstead, American film director and producer
Ian Beckstead (b. 1957), Canadian CFL football player who played from 1981 to 1992 for the Toronto Argonauts and the Ottawa Rough Riders, awarded the Leo Dandurand Trophy in 1988

Historic Events for the Beckstead family +

Empress of Ireland

Adjutant Jane Etta Elizabeth Beckstead (1871-1914), Canadian Second Class Passenger from Toronto, Ontario, Canada who was traveling aboard the Empress of Ireland and died in the sinking 6

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Commemoration Empress of Ireland 2014. (Retrieved 2014, June 16) . Retrieved from http://www.empress2014.ca/seclangen/listepsc1.html