| ![Show Contents]() Becket History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Etymology of BecketWhat does the name Becket mean? Becket is an ancient Anglo-Saxon name. It was a name given to a person who was a person with a prominent nose. The Old English word beke refers to the beak of a bird. More rarely, Becket may be a local type surname, referring to someone who lived beside a stream. The surname in this case is derived from the Northern Old English word bekke, which means stream and is derived from the Old Norse word bekkr. Also, Becket may be a local surname referring to settlements called Beckett in Berkshire and Devon. The Berkshire settlement takes its name from the Old English words beo, which means bee, and cot, which means cottage or shelter. The name of the Devon settlement has the Old English personal name Bicca, which is probably derived from becca, which means pickaxe or mattock, as its first element. Early Origins of the Becket familyThe surname Becket was first found in Norfolk and Cheshire, where they held a family seat from ancient times, long before the Norman Conquest in 1066. Early History of the Becket familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Becket research. Another 109 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1170, 1653, 1684, 1719, 1738 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Becket History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Becket Spelling VariationsOne relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Becket has appeared include Becket, Beckett, Beckete, Beckette and others. Early Notables of the Becket familyDistinguished members of the family include - Isaac Beckett (1653-1719), an English mezzotint engraver from Kent; one of the first practitioners of the art in England
- William Becket (1684-1738), the English surgeon and antiquary was born at Abingdon, Berkshire and Isaac Beckett (1653-1719), was a mezzotint engraver, born in Kent in 1653, and apprenticed to a calico...
Migration of the Becket family to IrelandSome of the Becket family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 63 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Becket migration to the United States | + |
At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Becket arrived in North America very early:
Becket Settlers in United States in the 17th Century- Mary Becket, who landed in Massachusetts in 1621 1
- Mary Becket, who settled in Plymouth Massachusetts in 1623
- Tytus Becket, who settled in Virginia in 1652
- John Becket, who settled in Virginia in 1654
- Samuel Becket, who arrived in Maryland in 1674 1
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Becket Settlers in United States in the 18th Century- Francois Becket, who arrived in Louisiana in 1718 1
- Guillaume Becket, who arrived in Louisiana in 1719 1
Becket Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- Scud DeHarts Becket, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1803 1
- Francis Becket, who landed in New York, NY in 1834 1
- Claudius C Becket, who landed in New York, NY in 1836 1
- Mr. Becket, who arrived in Texas in 1844 1
- Claudius G Becket, who landed in New York in 1847 1
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
| Becket migration to Canada | + |
Some of the first settlers of this family name were: Becket Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century- Elizabeth Becket was a proprietor and held a fishing room in Old Perlican, Newfoundland in 1800 2
- Thomas Becket, who settled in Harbour Grace, Newfoundland in 1808 2
| Becket migration to Australia | + |
Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include: Becket Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century- Mr. John Becket, British Convict who was convicted in Warwick, Warwickshire, England for life, transported aboard the "Earl St Vincent" on 20th April 1826, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), he died in 1840 3
- Janet Becket, Scottish convict from Glasgow, who was transported aboard the "Amphitrite" on August 21, 1833, settling in New South Wales, Australia 4
- Miss Elizabeth Becket, (Pennycuick), Scottish convict who was convicted in Edinburgh, Scotland for 7 years , transported aboard the "Aurora" on 22nd April 1851, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 5
| Becket 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: Becket Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century- Mr. Robert Becket, Australian settler travelling from Hobart, Tasmania, Australia aboard the ship "Bee" arriving in New Zealand in 1833 6
| Contemporary Notables of the name Becket (post 1700) | + |
- MacDonald Becket (1928-2017), American architect, President, and later Chairman and CEO of Welton Becket and Associates
- Marta Becket (1924-2017), American actress, dancer, choreographer and painter, known for Paris (2003), Amargosa (2000) and Weird Tales 4: The Ghosts of Death Valley Junction (2010)
- Welton Becket (1902-1969), American architect
- George C. Becket, American politician, Prohibition Candidate for Connecticut State House of Representatives from New Britain, 1918 7
- Isaac Becket (1653-1719), English engraver
- 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)
- Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th September 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-st-vincent
- State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Amphitrite voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1833 with 99 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/amphitrite/1833
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 20th August 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/aurora
- New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 14) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
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