Beket History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• England
• Ireland

Etymology of Beket

Beket is a name whose history is entwined with the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It was a name for a person with a prominent nose. The Old English word beke refers to the beak of a bird. More rarely, Beket 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, Beket 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 Beket family

Early History of the Beket family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Beket research. Another 109 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1170, 1653, 1684, 1719, 1738 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Beket History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Beket Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Beket were recorded, including Becket, Beckett, Beckete, Beckette and others.

Early Notables of the Beket family

Distinguished 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...
Another 29 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Beket Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Beket family to Ireland

Some of the Beket 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.

Migration of the Beket family

To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Beket family emigrate to North America: John Becket who settled in Salem Massachusetts in 1683; was a shipwright and had a large family. Mary Becket settled in Plymouth Massachusetts in 1623.