The baby name Beckett combines modern style with serious literary roots.
Thanks to September for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day.
WHAT DOES THE NAME BECKETT MEAN?
When it comes to meaning, Beckett is most often a place name.
It’s generally assumed beck refers to a stream, from Old English and Middle English words like bec and bekke. Beckett appears on the map in England, in places like Berkshire and Devon, so this tracks.
But there are plenty of other options, including:
- It could come from the Middle English word beke, for beak. Beket would’ve meant “small beak.” If you had a prominent nose, the last name Beckett might’ve stuck.
- The Old Englishbeo, meaning bee, combined with cot meaning cottage, could’ve also led to the surname Becote and then Beckett.
- A form of Beck might have Anglo-Saxon roots: Beocca. While it’s origins are unclear, it seems to have history. Novelist Bernard Cornwell borrowed the name for a character in his Saxon Stories series, which became the BBC/Netflix series The Last Kingdom.Again, the first element in this name is probably beo, or bee.
- Factor in Beck and Bek, and forms of the name are heard across Europe. Beckett is a logical diminutive of Beck, so it opens the door to even more origins and heritage meanings.
It’s also heard in Ireland, with similar names in France and elsewhere in Europe. But overwhelmingly, Americans perceive the baby name Beckett as a borrowing of an English surname.
Not just English, but also tied up in English history.
FAMOUS PEOPLE NAMED BECKETT
Archbishop Thomas à Becket served in the 12th century under King Henry II of England.
(Incidentally, in his lifetime, he was plain old Thomas Becket. The ‘à’ was added centuries later.)
Becket went toe-to-toe with the king over the rights of the monarch to exercise authority over the church. After much drama, they had reached a compromise, and Becket returned from exile in France.
But just as they patched things up, Becket set Henry II off again. And the king muttered something like this: Will no one rid us of this pesky priest?
The king’s loyal followers took it as an order, and off they went to kill the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Within two years, Thomas had been canonized, adding him to a long list of saints named Thomas.
Fast-forward to the 20th century and there’s Nobel Prize-winning author Samuel Beckett, a native of Dublin, Ireland, famous for his play Waiting for Godot.
Along with Edward Albee, Tom Stoppard, Eugene Ionesco, Jean Genet, and a number of others, Beckett’s works are usually considered “Theater of the Absurd” – plays where the characters fail to find meaning or reach a defined goal. They’re not exactly bedtime stories.
But it does lend the baby name Beckett quite a bit of literary cachet. The writer was a major force in twentieth century literature. Beyond his accomplishments on the page, he also earned the recognition of the French government for his work in the resistance during World War II, with a Croix de Guerre. The award recognizes bravery in combat.
BECKETT IN POPULAR CULTURE
On a far lighter note, over the last few decades, pop culture has made the baby name Beckett familiar through frequent use as a first and last name.
- The hero of time travel series Quantum Leap was Sam Beckett. The series debuted in 1989 and ran through 1993.
- Singer Beck scored his first hit in the 1990s.
- Lord Cutler Beckett is a villain in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. He last appeared in 2007.
- Crime drama Castle gave us Detective Kate Beckett, often referred to by her surname only. It ran from 2009 to 2016.
- In 2018, Solo: A Star Wars Story, we meet a young Han Solo and his reluctant mentor, Tobias Beckett, played by Woody Harrelson.
- Artemis Fowl has a little brother named Beckett Fowl in the book series, though he didn’t appear in the movie.
- A Star Trek animated series, Lower Decks, ran from 2020 through 2024. It inclued a character named Beckett Mariner, though again, this is Beckett as a feminine name.
- In the World of Darkness RPG and video games, there’s a vampire character by the name.
Celebrity parents who have chosen the name include Conan O’Brien and Stella McCartney.
TRENDING SOUND
The baby name Beckett owes a little something to two trends.
- First, that -TT ending. Similar sounding names like Garrett came first, and some, like Elliot/Elliott, boast a long history of use. More recently, Wyatt, Everett, Emmett, Bennett, Barrett, and Truett, as well as Rhett and Jett, have been part of the trend.
- But it’s worth noting that Beck echoes names like Jack, as well as other short, strong names for boys: familiar Beau and Jude, but also rarer options like Kit and Dex.
Put it together, and the baby name Beckett just plain fit.
HOW POPULAR IS THE NAME BECKETT?
The baby name Beckett debuted in the US Top 1000 in 2006 at #753.
Beckett’s popularity has surged in recent years. As of 2024, it stands at #166, an all-time high.
STYLISH AND LITERARY
Overall, the baby name Beckett benefits from its most famous bearers. It sounds principled, intelligent, creative, and bold. And while it’s undeniably stylish now, with the -ett ending, it sounds like a name that will stand the test of time.
The boy name Beckett is a perfect choice for our moment. It’s not new, but it is fresh and very current. The saint and the playwright cement Beckett’s place in history; the sound makes it all now.
Would you consider the baby name Beckett for a son?
First published on December 2, 2011, this post was revised substantially republished on October 28, 2020 and again on June 26, 2025.
My fiance and I are expecting and really love the name Beckett. It has never been in the top 100 of first names in the US. We also envision him playing basketball like his father and making posters that say “Beckett Makes Buckets” we don’t view bucket as a negative in this family.
Does not sound at all like a bucket! Beckett is a cute different name for a boy, I personally love it,
My son is a “Beckett” (currently 8-year-old) and likes his name. He gets a lot of compliments on it when he meets someone new. My husband and I chose it because it’s not very common (which I like) but still sounds traditional (which my husband likes). Only a very few insensitive adults have called him “bucket” in his lifetime (what kind of an adult makes fun of a kid’s name to his face?). As far as kids go, playground smack talk hasn’t gone in that direction yet. But if we are talking about nicknames, just about every name could birth a nickname. I feel for my husband who inherited the family name “Hoyle” — sounds like hole so you can imagine what his childhood was like. 🙂
I have a 3 year old Beckett who I think wears his name perfectly. I had never met a Beckett until about two or three years before he was born. I taught a little blond boy at a Montessori school and absolutely loved him and his unique name. I knew I wanted to use it someday. It seems appropriate that my guy is a towhead too.=)
We named our son Beckett in November. I know of 3 other people that named their son, as we found when ppl asked his name. We weren’t trying to be trendy or unique, just really liked the name. I am surprised by some of the responses here, as we have gotten overwhelmingly positive response. Only negative was more of hesitation from my husband’s more traditional parents. His mom recently admitted that it fits him, her boyfriend said he loves it (he’s 75). One person told my husband we made it up, haha. Some call him Beck, which is fine by us.
So I rather like Beckett. Not one that I’d use, but it sounds handsomely boyish to me and it doesn’t bother me really that it’s a last-name. (Sometimes that would bother me.) Totally doesn’t make me think of buckets – mainly makes me think of the guy who played Sam Beckett, though I couldn’t remember which character of his was associated with Beckett.
I’m honestly surprised by all the Beckett-hate! And the thoughts of buckets. Then again, I’m one who can’t be bothered by the Violet-violent and Charlotte-harlot associations, either. Why is it that ends-in-t names seem to have these associations for people?
I’m not bothered by the violent/harlot thing with Violet and Charlotte at all, so I can’t speak for anyone else on that, but I think part of the reason Beckett is so reminiscent of buckets for me is that it’s a surname name not traditionally used as a first name. Violet and Charlotte have hundreds of years’ worth of associations on actual people, and the only person I know with the last name Beckett is the medieval Thomas (well, obviously I don’t actually KNOW him ;)).
That is a really good point, Rosy. Charlotte and Violet certainly have more first name use. But, to me, Beckett doesn’t even sound like “bucket,” at all! I do get the Thomas Becket and Samuel Beckett connections, though…
Yuck. I’ve always hated Beckett; it’s extremely trendy and I just think of buckets.
One of Maria’s classmates has a baby sibling named Beckett. They have a surname like “Floyd” and little Becket’s mom told me people are frequently flipping the names around.. as if “Floyd” was a typical baby name. If Beckett gets any closer to the top100, they probably won’t have this problem anymore.
I prefer Albee 😉 , but I could warm up to Beckett.
I know of a little girl (born in 2007) and little boy named Beckett (born in 2006). Are there any stats on Beckett for girls?
There were 21 girls named Beckett in 2010 – I haven’t looked back, but I’m guessing there have never been more. The possibility of using Becky as a nickname makes her feel like Emerson or Ellison or Elliot, I think … and yet, she isn’t catching on in big numbers – yet.