Boy · #3,223 in 2026

Becket

Name: Popularity of the name Becket in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Becket, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Becket or The Honour of God, often shortened to Becket, is a 1959 stage play written in French by Jean Anouilh. It is a depiction of the conflict between Thomas Becket and King Henry II of England leading to Becket's assassination in 1170. It contains many historical inaccuracies, which the author acknowledged.

Current Rank

#3,223

Peak Rank

#2,884 (2016)

Total Babies

632

5-Yr Trend

+28%

1969

First Year

2026

Last Year

2016

Peak Year

#2884

Peak Rank

632

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Becket

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Origin & history

Anouilh's interpretation of the historical story, though often ironic, is more straightforward than T. S. Eliot 's 1935 play on the same subject, Murder in the Cathedral , which was intended primarily as a religious treatment. However, there are one or two similarities in the interpretation. In the introduction to the play, Anouilh explained that he based it on a chapter of an old book he had bought because its green binding looked good on his shelves. He and his wife read the 30 pages about Thomas Becket, and she urged him to write a play about Thomas. He did so, finishing the first part in o

The Story of Becket

Becket first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1969, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2016, when 41 Beckets were born — ranking #2,884 that year. As of 2026, Becket ranks #3,223 for baby boys with 37 births, rising sharply (+28% over the past five years). In total, more than 632 Beckets have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1960s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Where is Becket most common?

Predicted country distribution based on naming patterns globally.

CI
48%
United States
22%
United Kingdom
11%
PA
11%
Canada
8%

Source: Nationalize.io . Probabilities are global naming-pattern estimates, not strict counts.

Names that sound like Becket

Phonetically similar names — useful when Becket is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Bucket
Beckett
Bacot
Buycott
Bickett
Bequette
Bigot
Bigote
Bogu
Bacote
Bukett
Becca

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Becket

What does the name Becket mean?

How popular is Becket in 2026?

In 2026, Becket ranks #3,223 among boys' names in the U.S., with 37 babies given the name that year.

When was Becket most popular?

Becket reached its peak popularity in 2016, ranking #2,884 that year with 41 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Becket most popular?

Becket has historically been most popular in Texas, California. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Becket.

Is Becket a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Becket is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.

What names go well with Becket?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Becket include Conall, Dmari, Declyn. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Becket

Becket is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1969 and has accumulated 632 births in the dataset. Becket's peak popularity came in 2016 when it ranked #2,884. Use the chart and map above to compare Becket's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.