Beck is a

surname In some cultures, a surname, family name, or last name is the portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family, tribe or community. Practices vary by culture. The family name may be placed at either the start of a person's full name ...

of both Germanic and Hebrew origin , meaning " brook", "

stream A stream is a continuous body of water, body of surface water Current (stream), flowing within the stream bed, bed and bank (geography), banks of a channel (geography), channel. Depending on its location or certain characteristics, a stream ...

" (related to Old Norse ''bekkr'') or " martyr" (Hebrew) and is fairly common in English and Slavic speaking countries, Germany (equivalent to Bach) and Denmark. The German name can also be a variant of Becker, which is an occupational surname meaning "baker". In Hebrew, it exists as an abbreviated form of ''B'nei Kiddoshim'' ("sons of the martyrs"). In some Slavic countries such as the former Yugoslavia and Russia it is spelled as Bek.

Notable people

Notable people with this surname include: * Aaron T. Beck (1921–2021), founder of cognitive therapy * Adam Beck (1857–1925), Canadian politician and hydro-electricity advocate * Adolf Beck (1841–1909), Norwegian immigrant wrongly convicted of fraud in England * Adolf Beck (physiologist) (1863–1942), Polish professor at University of Lwow *

András Beck András Beck (1911–1985) was a Hungarian sculptor. He was noted for his symbolic and expressionist bronze statuettes and portrait busts. His 3.5-metre-tall statue commemorating the death of Jan Palach was transported from France to the Czech ...

(1911–1985), Hungarian sculptor *

Andreas Beck (footballer) Andreas Beck (; born 13 March 1987) is a former professional footballer who played as a right-back. Born in the Soviet Union, he represented Germany at youth and senior levels. Early life Beck was born in Kemerovo, USSR (now Russia). When he w ...

(born 1987), German football player * Andreas Beck (tennis) (born 1986), German tennis player *

Andrew Beck (American football) Andrew Beck (born May 15, 1996) is an American football fullback for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Texas. Early years Beck attended and played high school football at Henry B. Plant Hig ...

(born 1996), American football player * Andrew Beck (musician) (born 1986), American artist and musician, member of the band

The Mellons The Mellons is an American Psychedelic rock/Baroque pop band formed in 2020 and based at Salt Lake City, Utah. The band consists of Ian Francis (percussion, drums), Denney Fuller (bass, horns), Andrew Beck (vocals, guitar, keys) and Rob Jepson ...

Audrey P. Beck Audrey Phillips Beck (August 6, 1931 – March 11, 1983) was an American politician and educator. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Beck moved with her family to Norwalk, Connecticut, where she grew up. Beck received her bachelor's and master's de ...

(1931–1983), American educator and politician *

Bill Beck William M. H. Beck (January 3, 1900 – March 5, 1965) was an American football and baseball coach. He served as the head coach of the Rhode Island Rams football team in 1941 and then again from 1946 through 1949, compiling a record of 12–22� ...

(1900–1965), American college sports coach * C. C. Beck (1910–1989), American cartoonist * Charlie Beck (born 1953), Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department * Christophe Beck (born 1968/1969), Canadian composer for ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' *

Claude Beck Claude Schaeffer Beck (November 8, 1894 – October 14, 1971) was a pioneer cardiac surgeon, famous for innovating various cardiac surgery techniques, and performing the first defibrillation in 1947. He was the first American professor of cardiov ...

(1894–1971), American cardiac surgeon who invented the defibrillator * Clifford W. Beck (1908–1985), American politician * Corey Beck (born 1971), American basketball player * Dave Beck (1894–1993), American labor leader * David Beck (1621–1656), Dutch portrait painter *

David Beck (musician) David Beck is an Australian drummer. Along with Jamie Oehlers and Paul Grabowsky he was nominated for ARIA Award for Best Jazz Album in 2008 with ''Lost And Found''. Discography Albums Awards and nominations AIR Awards The Australian Indepe ...

, Australian drummer * David B. Beck (PhD 2012), American physician-scientist * David L. Beck (born 1953), Mormon leader * Diana Beck (1900–1956), English neurosurgeon *

Doris Beck Doris Lew Beck (1929 – July 12, 2020) was an American Democratic Party politician who was the first woman to serve as Mayor of Livingston, New Jersey, and the first woman to serve as a Mayor in Essex County, New Jersey. She was born in Chehanovie ...

(1929–2020), American politician * "Dr. Beck", name taken by the Count de Werdinsky (1803–1856) * Franz Ignaz Beck (1734–1809), German classical composer * Franz Ignaz von Beecke (1733–1803), German classical composer * Gad Beck (1923–2012), German educator, author, activist, and survivor of the Holocaust * Geoffrey Beck (cricketer) (1918–2019), English cricketer, minister, and centenarian * George Beck (artist) (1749–1812), artist and poet * Gina Beck (born 1981), English actress and singer *

Glenn Beck Glenn Lee Beck (born February 10, 1964) is an American conservative political commentator, radio host, entrepreneur, and television producer. He is the CEO, founder, and owner of Mercury Radio Arts, the parent company of his television and rad ...

(born 1964), American political commentator, radio host, and television producer * Günther Beck von Mannagetta und Lerchenau (1856–1931), German botanist * Hans Beck (1929–2009), German inventor * Harry Beck (1902–1974), designer of the London Underground map * Harry Beck (footballer) (1901–1979), English footballer * Henrik Henriksen Beck (1799–1863), Danish geologist, conchologist and naturalist * Ivan Bek (1909–1963), Yugoslav footballer *

Jackson Beck Jackson Beck (July 23, 1912 – July 28, 2004) was an American actor best known as the announcer on radio's '' The Adventures of Superman''Dunning, John. (1998). ''On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio''. Oxford University Press. . Pp. 1 ...

(1912–2004), American actor and announcer *

Jakob Sigismund Beck Jakob Sigismund Beck (originally Jacob Sigismund Beck; 6 August 1761 – 29 August 1840) was a German philosopher. Biography Beck was born in the village of Liessau (Lisewo) in the rural district of Marienburg (Malbork) in Royal Prussia, Poland ...

, German philosopher * James Beck (1929–1973), English actor in the television series ''Dad's Army'' * James Beck (art historian) (1930–2007), American art historian * James B. Beck (1822–1890), American congressman from Kentucky *

James M. Beck James Montgomery Beck (July 9, 1861 – April 12, 1936) was an American lawyer, politician, and author from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was a member of the Republican Party, who served as U.S. Solicitor General and U.S. Representative from ...

(1861–1936), United States Solicitor General and US Congressman from Pennsylvania *

Jeff Beck Geoffrey Arnold Beck (born 24 June 1944) is an English rock guitarist. He rose to prominence with the Yardbirds and after fronted the Jeff Beck Group and Beck, Bogert & Appice. In 1975, he switched to a mainly instrumental style, with a focus ...

(1944–2023), British electric guitarist * Joe Beck (1945–2008), American jazz guitarist * John Beck (actor) (born 1943), American actor * John Beck (footballer) (born 1954), British football manager *

John Beck (gridiron football) John Dalton Beck (born August 21, 1981) is an American football coach and former quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 6 seasons. He played college football at Brigham Young University, and was drafted by the Miami D ...

(born 1981), NFL player and former BYU quarterback *

John Brodhead Beck John Brodhead Beck (18 September 1794 Schenectady, New York – 9 April 1851 Rhinebeck, New York) was a New York physician who was an authority on miscarriage, abortion, infant physiology, and associated forensic issues. Biography He was the thi ...

(1794–1851), 19th-century United States physician * Jonathan Mock Beck (1935–2006), American mathematician * Joko Beck (1917–2011), an American Zen teacher * Józef Beck (1894–1944), Polish diplomat and military officer * József Beck (born 1952), mathematician *

Justin Beck Justin Beck is an American musician and businessman. He is the guitarist and musical writer for Long Island, New York band Glassjaw. Beck, with a high school and college buddy, Lee Tepper, also co-founded a band merchandise company called MerchDi ...

, American guitarist * Karol Beck (born 1982), Slovak tennis player *

Ken Beck Ken Beck (born 4 August 1940) is a retired Australian rules footballer who played with Hawthorn Football Club, Hawthorn in the Australian Football League, Victorian Football League (VFL). Originally from Stawell Football Club, Stawell, Beck w ...

(born 1940), Australian Rules footballer * Kent Beck (born 1961), proponent of Extreme Programming * Kimberly Beck (born 1956), American actress *

Kristin Beck Christopher Todd Beck (born June 21, 1966) is a retired United States Navy SEAL who gained public attention in 2013 after coming out as a trans woman, and in 2022, when he announced his detransition. During the time of his transition, he went b ...

(born 1966), retired American Navy SEAL *

Kurt Beck Kurt Beck (born 5 February 1949) is a German politician of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), who served as the 7th Minister President of Rhineland-Palatinate from 1994 to 2013 and as the 55th President of the Bundesrat in 2000/01. In May 2006, ...

(born 1949), German politician (SPD) * Laetitia Beck (born 1992), Israeli golfer *

Lewis Caleb Beck Lewis Caleb Beck (4 October 1798 Schenectady – 20 April 1853 Albany, New York) was an American physician, botanist, chemist, and mineralogist. Biography He graduated from Union College in 1815 with a Master of Arts. He then studied medicine, ...

(1798–1853), American naturalist and physician * Ludwig Beck (1880–1944), German general in Hitler assassination attempt * Margit Beck (1918–1997), Hungarian-born American painter *

Mark Beck Mark Andrew Beck (born 2 February 1994) is a professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Forward (association football), forward for club Solihull Moors F.C., Solihull Moors. He played in the English Football League, Football L ...

(born 1994), footballer * Michael Beck (born 1949), American actor *

Mikkel Beck Mikkel Venge Beck (born 12 May 1973) is a Danish former professional association football, football who played as a forward (association football), forward. He scored three goals in 19 games for the Denmark national football team, Denmark nation ...

(born 1973), Danish professional football player *

Nissan Beck Nisan Bak (or Nissan Beck; he, ניסן ב"ק; 1815–1889) was a leader of the Hasidic Judaism, Hasidic Jewish community of the Old Yishuv in History of Palestine#Ottoman period, Ottoman Palestine. He was the founder of two Jewish neighborhoods in ...

or Nisan Bak (1815–1889), Hasidic leader, moderniser and printer in Jerusalem * Noah Beck (born 2001), American social medial personality * Paul W. Beck (1876–1922), American military aviation pioneer * Peter Beck (disambiguation) - various people *

Richard Beck (scholar) Richard Beck (June 9, 1897 – July 20, 1980) was an Icelandic-born American literary historian, author, and poet. He was for many years a professor of Scandinavian languages and literature at the University of North Dakota and a prominent leade ...

(1897–1980), American literary historian * Rick Beck (born 1956), member of the Arkansas House of Representatives * Robert Beck, alias of African American writer Iceberg Slim * Robert Beck, alias of D-12 rapper

Karnail Pitts D12 (an initialism for The Dirty Dozen) was an American hip hop music, hip hop musical collective, collective from Detroit, Detroit, Michigan. Formed in 1996, the group achieved mainstream success with its lineup of ''de facto'' leader Eminem, Pr ...

Robert Nason Beck Robert Nason Beck (March 26, 1928, in San Angelo, Texas – August 6, 2008, in Chicago, Illinois) was an American scientist and a pioneer in the field of nuclear medicine. Part of a University of Chicago team, he was the first to propose, in 19 ...

(1928–2008), pioneer radiologist * Robin Beck (born 1954), American singer * Rod Beck (1968–2007), relief pitcher in Major League Baseball *

Rollo Beck Rollo Howard Beck (26 August 1870 – 22 November 1950) was an American ornithologist, bird collector for museums, and explorer. Beck's petrel and three taxa of reptiles are named after him, including a subspecies of Galápagos tortoise, ''Chelon ...

(1870–1950), American bird collector * Stanley D. Beck (1919–1997), American entomologist * Theodore Beck, first principal of the MAO College at Aligarh, India *

Theodric Romeyn Beck Theodric Romeyn Beck (April 11, 1791 – November 19, 1855), alternatively Theodoric Romeyn Beck or T. Romeyn Beck, was an American physician in Albany, New York, specializing in medical jurisprudence who authored the first significant American b ...

(1859–1899), forensic scientist *

Ulrich Beck Ulrich Beck (15 May 1944 – 1 January 2015) was a German sociologist, and one of the most cited social scientists in the world during his lifetime. His work focused on questions of uncontrollability, ignorance and uncertainty in the modern a ...

(1944–2015), German sociologist * W. Raymond Beck (1932–2014), member of Maryland House of Delegates * William E. Beck (1842—1892), Chief Justice of the Colorado Supreme Court

Fictional characters

* Martin Beck, Swedish police detective in the Sjöwall and Wahlöö novels *Beck Oliver, one of the main characters from Victorious *Florian Beck, one of the main characters from

Salt to the Sea ''Salt to the Sea'' is a 2016 historical fiction young adult novel by Ruta Sepetys (book cover illustration and design by Matt Jones i UK). It tells the story of four individuals in World War II who make their way to the ill-fated MV ''Wilhelm ...

*Guinevere Beck, character from the television series '' You'' *Tom Beck, a character in the 1998 American science-fiction disaster movie '' Deep Impact'' * Finley Beck, a fictional photographer appearing in the season two episode of Charmed (1998), "Chick Flick". *

Quentin Beck Mysterio (Quentin Beck) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, the character first appeared in ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #13 (June 1964). He is primarily depicted a ...

, one of Spiderman’s enemies. *Dr. Christopher "Chris" Beck, one of the main characters from The Martian (film) and The Martian (Weir novel)

Notable people

Fictional characters

References

See also