Baby Name of the Day: Beckett

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.