Becker (German pronunciation: [ˈbɛkɐ, -kər]) is one of the German-language surnames, along with Bäcker and Baecker, that derive from the [baːk]~[bɛk] root, which refers to baking. The surname began as a name for a baker (and thus his family). In northern Germany, it can also derive from the word Beck for Bach ("creek" or "brook") to denote origin.
Contents
Geographical distribution
As of 2014, 55.3% of all known bearers of the surname Becker were residents of Germany (frequency 1:287), 24.7% of the United States (1:2,891), 8.0% of Brazil (1:5,052), 2.7% of France (1:4,987), 2.0% of South Africa (1:5,431) and 1.2% of Canada (1:6,120).
In Germany, the frequency of the surname was higher than the national average (1:287) in the following states:
Saarland (1:84)
Rhineland-Palatinate (1:123)
Hesse (1:159)
North Rhine-Westphalia (1:226)
Saxony-Anhalt (1:248)
People
Middle name
Herman Becker Fast (1887–1938), American businessman, farmer, and politician