Show ContentsBeebe History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Beebe was derived from a place name in Leicestershire called Beeby. The place name is derived from the Old English "beo," meaning "bee," and "byr," or "settlement." That is, it was "the place where they kept bees."

Early Origins of the Beebe family

The surname Beebe was first found in Leicestershire where they had been settled since ancient times before the Norman Conquest of England by Duke William in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Beebe family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Beebe research. Another 149 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1775, 1840, 1889, 1922, 1963 and 1986 are included under the topic Early Beebe History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Beebe Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Beebe family name include Beeby, Beebee, Beebe, Bebe, Beebey and others.

Early Notables of the Beebe family

Another 32 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Beebe Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Beebe Ranking

In the United States, the name Beebe is the 2,135th most popular surname with an estimated 14,922 people with that name. [1]


United States Beebe migration to the United States +

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, Canada, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Beebe surname or a spelling variation of the name include:

Beebe Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • James Beebe, who arrived in New England in 1668 [2]
Beebe Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Mrs. Beebe, aged 24, who landed in Key West, Fla in 1840 [2]
  • A M Beebe, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1860 [2]
  • H H Beebe, who landed in San Francisco California in 1860 [2]
  • Mr. Charles Beebe, (b. 1893), aged 6, Cornish settler, from Launceston, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Teutonic" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 16th February 1899 en route to Mason City, Iowa, USA [3]

Canada Beebe migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Beebe Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Lt. Edwin Beebe U.E. who settled in Home District, [Niagara], Lincoln County, Ontario c. 1783 [4]
  • Mr. Joshua Beebe, "Joshua Bebee" U.E. who settled in Home District, [Niagara], Lincoln County, Ontario c. 1783 [4]
  • Mrs. Mary Beebe U.E. (née Secord) who settled in Canada c. 1783 [4]

Contemporary Notables of the name Beebe (post 1700) +

  • Hank Beebe (1926-2023), American composer, known for his choral compositions, Broadway musicals, and industrial musicals for the employees and shareholders of major American business corporations
  • Major-General Royden Eugene Beebe Jr. (1908-1959), American Director of the Office of North Atlantic Treaty Affairs (1951-1953) [5]
  • Major-General Lewis Charles Beebe (1891-1951), American Commandant of Warzburg, Germany (1948-1950) [6]
  • Brigadier-General Eugene Harold Beebe (1906-1992), American Acting Commanding General of Continental Air Forces (1944-1945) [7]
  • William Beebe (1877-1962), American ornithologist, explorer, and author
  • Michael Dale Beebe (b. 1946), American politician, 45th Governor of Arkansas
  • Lucius Morris Beebe (1902-1966), American author, gourmand and photographer
  • Don Beebe (b. 1964), American NFL football player
  • Charles William Beebe (1877-1962), American naturalist, explorer, and author
  • Albert P. Beebe (1843-1932), American Republican politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Monroe County 4th District, 1905-06
  • ... (Another 41 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


The Beebe Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Se defendendo
Motto Translation: In his own defence.


Suggested Readings for the name Beebe +

  • Monograph of the Descendants of the Family of Beebe by Clarence Beebe.
  • A Harkrader-Hathaway History (including the Beebe Family) by Charles Briggs Hathaway.

  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. 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)
  3. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retreived 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
  4. 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
  5. Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2011, October 6) Royden Beebe. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Beebe/Royden_Eugene_Jr./USA.html
  6. Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2011, October 6) Lewis Beebe. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Beebe/Lewis_Charles/USA.html
  7. Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2011, October 6) Eugene Beebe. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Beebe/Eugene_Harold/USA.html


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