Bea History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

Etymology of Bea

What does the name Bea mean?

The name is derived from the Old English word "beo," which is modernized as "bee." Accordingly, the name is a nickname for someone who was "busy as a bee."

Early Origins of the Bea family

The surname Bea was first found in Oxfordshire where one of the first records of the name was Walter le Be who was listed there in 1195. A few years later Robert Be was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls of Yorkshire in 1198. William le Beo was listed in the Assize Rolls of Somerset in 1243. 1

Later, Alicia Bee was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 and Thomas Bee was in 1447 listed in Northumberland and Durham. 2

By 1305 they had moved north, probably in the train of Earl David of Huntingdon, who became King David of Scotland, to Dundee, where they also held estates giving birth to the Scottish Bees. There they adopted the spelling of Bie and settled in Hill in Dundee. Captain Stephen le Bie made payment of his dues in 1305. They later branched to Edinburgh, and also to Boreland of Colvend of Dumfriesshire. 3

Early History of the Bea family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bea research. Another 102 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1621, 1636, 1637, 1660, 1756 and 1940 are included under the topic Early Bea History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bea 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. Bea has been recorded under many different variations, including Bee, Bea, Bie, Bees and others.

Early Notables of the Bea family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Cornelius Bee, English bookseller in London; Little Britain, 1636-1637. "He was the son of Thomas Bee, citizen and haberdasher, of London, whose will was proved May 28th, 1621. He appears to have been a man of some capital, and joined Laurence Sadler, in 1637 in the publication of the Atlas...
Another 58 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bea Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Bea family to Ireland

Some of the Bea family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bea 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 Bea or a variant listed above:

Bea Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Christopher Bea, who landed in Virginia in 1639 4

Bea Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Ann Bea, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1812 4
Catherine Bea, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1812 4
Elizabeth Bea, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1812 4
Francis Bea, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1812 4
James Bea, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1812 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Bea (post 1700) +

Nancy Bea Hefley (1936-2025), American stadium organist for 28 years for Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers
Vera Bea Rison (1939-2015), American politician, Member of the Michigan House of Representatives (1997-2002), Member of the Genesee County Board of Commissioners (1987-1996)
Bea Chester (b. 1921), American utility infielder who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
Bea Wain (1917-2017), born Beatrice Weinsier and was sometimes credited as Beatrice Wayne, an American Big Band-era singer
Bea Thore, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Nevada, 1956 5
Bea Nettle (b. 1946), American fine art photographer and author
Bea Alonzo (b. 1987), Filipino film and television actress
Bea Underwood, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Minnesota, 1984 (alternate), 1996
Bea Rouse, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Texas, 2008 6
Bea Olmstead, American Republican politician, Candidate for Michigan State House of Representatives 69th District, 1980 7

Sources +

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)
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, August 18) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 10) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 7) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html