How to say it
BEC · kett
ˈbɛk.ɪt
Masculine
Beckett
Bee cottage, or 'small stream'
What it means
English surname from a place name, possibly Old English beo-cot ('bee cottage') or becca ('a small stream'). Thomas Becket the murdered archbishop and Samuel Beckett the absurdist playwright are the dominant cultural anchors.
Beckett is an English surname from a place name; etymologists disagree on the root, with two main candidates being beo-cot ('bee cottage') or becca ('a small stream'). The dominant cultural anchors are two: Thomas Becket (the 12th-century Archbishop of Canterbury, murdered in his own cathedral by Henry II's knights, then canonized; T.S. Eliot's Murder in the Cathedral is a verse drama about him) and Samuel Beckett (the 20th-century Irish playwright of Waiting for Godot, Nobel Prize 1969). The first-name use is modern; the surname-to-first jump happened in the US in the 2000s with the broader masculine surname-first wave. It entered the US top 200 in 2018. No common short.
How to spell Beckett
The standard spelling is Beckett. Common variants include Becket, Beckitt, but Beckett is the most widely used form.
Popularity over time
peaked at #141 in 2025, currently #141 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–2025. Reviewed July 2026. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Pop culture
Two cultural anchors: Thomas Becket (the murdered archbishop) and Samuel Beckett (the playwright). Both flatter; both serious.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Thomas Becket 12th-century Archbishop of Canterbury, murdered in his cathedral, then canonized
- Samuel Beckett Irish playwright, Waiting for Godot, Nobel Prize 1969
Spelling variants
- Becket
- Beckitt
Names with the same feeling
See Beckett from another angle
By style
Common questions
- What does the name Beckett mean?
- English surname from a place name, possibly Old English beo-cot ('bee cottage') or becca ('a small stream'). Thomas Becket the murdered archbishop and Samuel Beckett the absurdist playwright are the dominant cultural anchors.
- What does Beckett mean in Old English?
- In Old English, Beckett means "Bee cottage, or 'small stream'." Beckett is an English surname from a place name; etymologists disagree on the root, with two main candidates being beo-cot ('bee cottage') or becca ('a small stream'). The dominant cultural anchors are two: Thomas Becket (the 12th-century Archbishop of Canterbury, murdered in his own cathedral by Henry II's knights, then canonized; T.S. Eliot's Murder in the Cathedral is a verse drama about him) and Samuel Beckett (the 20th-century Irish playwright of Waiting for Godot, Nobel Prize 1969). The first-name use is modern; the surname-to-first jump happened in the US in the 2000s with the broader masculine surname-first wave. It entered the US top 200 in 2018. No common short.
- How do you pronounce Beckett?
- Beckett is pronounced ˈbɛk.ɪt. Say it as BEC-kett, with the stress on the "bec" syllable.
- How do you spell Beckett?
- The standard spelling is Beckett. Common spelling variants include Becket, Beckitt.
- Is Beckett a boy or girl name?
- Beckett is traditionally a masculine name.
- How popular is the name Beckett?
- Beckett ranked #141 in the U.S. in 2025, according to Social Security Administration data.