Surname Bek - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'B'
Bek: What does the surname Bek mean?
The last name Bek is of diverse origin, found mainly in Norwegian, Swedish, Danish, and Jewish cultures. In Norwegian, Swedish, and Danish languages "Bek" translates to "brook" or "stream." It likely was used to signify families who lived near such a landscape feature. On the other hand, in Jewish tradition, Bek is an abbreviation of Beth Knesset, meaning 'House of Assembly,' usually assigned to officers of the synagogue. Alternatively, it could also be an Ashkenazi Jewish variant of Beck, signifying someone from a place called Beck. Across different cultures, the meaning varies thus reflecting a family's geographical location, lineage, or profession. The interpretation of this surname ultimately depends on the ethnic and geographical history of the individual bearer.
Order DNA origin analysisBek: Where does the name Bek come from?
The surname Bek is of multiple origins. One possible derivation is from the Old Norse word "bekkr," meaning a stream or brook, thus indicating that the original bearer of the name lived near such a place. You could therefore find it in Scandinavian countries like Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It also comes from the Middle High German word "beck," with the same meaning.
Another origin could be from the Middle English "beke," referring to the beak of a bird, hence possibly denoting someone with a prominent nose.
A short form of the Jewish personal name Jakob, Bek is a common surname among Ashkenazi Jews. In this context, it has been assumed that the name was adopted upon arrival in America to assimilate and fit in with the new culture.
It may also have Turkish and Kazakh origins where "Bek" was a historical title, similar to "Sir" in English, often given to military leaders.
Today, it's found in a variety of countries including Turkey, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Russia, as well as Germany and other European countries with a significant Ashkenazi Jewish population.
Variations of the surname Bek
The surname Bek has various spellings, variants, and surnames of the same origin from different countries. One of the direct transliterations is Beck which has the same pronunciation. Other variations include Beek, Beeck, or Beke. In some cases, it can also be spelled as Bec or Baek, depending on phonetic and dialect differences.
Czech, Polish, and Slovak form include the surname Běk. In Hungarian, it can be represented as Bék while the Turkish form is Bekçi. The surname Bekker, which means 'baker', is a derivative of it.
In addition, Bek is also found as a part of compound surnames such as Bekendorf, Bekstedt, and Bekman.
The surnames derived from the same origin may include names such as Becker or Beckman, which originated from the same root "Bec", meaning a stream or brook in Old Norse.
It is also important to note that regional and dialectical differences, changes over time, and personal preferences can impact the spelling and variants of the surname Bek. Hence, there may be many more variations not listed here.
Famous people with the name Bek
- Herbert Bek: a German Lutheran theologian and expert in Protestant church music.
- Antonín Běk: a Czech professional ice hockey player.
- Mohamed Bek: a Yemeni footballer who plays as a defender for Al-Tilal.
- Viktor Bek: a Hungarian footballer who plays as a midfielder for FC Fehérvár.
- Ahmet Bek: a Turkish Cypriot actor, known for his roles in "The Tezler is Coming" and "Good Days Cyprus".
- Kurt Bek: a football player who played as a forward in the German National Football team.
- Tomasz Bek: a Polish handball player who participated in the 1988 Summer Olympics.
- Alex Bek: a journalist and news presenter on Channel 9 in Perth, Western Australia.
- Lars Bek: a Danish architect and designer, the co-founder of the design collective KiBiSi.
- Mehtap Bek: an award-winning Turkish artist known for her paintings and sculptures.
- Oskar Bek: a Norwegian painter, noted for his landscape and symbolic paintings.
- Gyula Bék: a Hungarian sprint canoer who competed in the 1960s.
- Reuben Bek: a South African rugby union player who played as a fullback in the 1980s.
- Peter Bek: a New Zealand cricket umpire.