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![Show Contents]() Beckstead History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Beckstead is a local name from the German region of Westphalia. Local names and other types of hereditary surnames began to be used in Germany after the 12th century. They were derived from the name of the place where the original bearer of the name lived. Sometimes local names bear the prefix "von", meaning "of" or "from". This was originally an indication of land-ownership, and was sometimes a mark of aristocracy. The 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 Beckstead familyThe surname Beckstead 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 Beckstead familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Beckstead 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 Beckstead History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Beckstead Spelling VariationsMany cultural groups lived in the German states in medieval times. Each had its own dialect and traditions, and unique variations of popular names. Low German, which is similar to contemporary Dutch, was spoken in Westphalia. German names are characterized by additions such as regional suffixes and phrases that tell something about the origin or background of its original bearer. Further contributing to the variation in German names was the fact that there were no spelling rules in medieval times: scribes recorded names according to their sound. The recorded spelling variations of Beckstead include Beck, Bech, Bech, Beche, Becke, Bec, Becce and many more. Early Notables of the Beckstead familyNotables of the period with the name Beckstead 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-born philosopher known for his interpretation of Kant.
Franz Beck, born at...
Another 49 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Beckstead Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Beckstead RankingIn the United States, the name Beckstead is the 10,673rd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2
 Beckstead migration to the United States | + |
After 1650, thousands of German settlers came to North America to escape the religious persecution and poverty that wracked Europe and to make the most of the opportunity to own their own land in a new country. They settled across the United States in Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California, and in Canada in Ontario and on the fertile plains of the prairie provinces. Among them:
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 | + |
- 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 3
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Beckstead migration to the United States 
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