The McBeth surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 3,004 people carried this name — #10,649 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 98,000 people counted. About the same as in 2000 (2,992).

Look up another surname

Share

What the name means

The meaning of the McBeth surname

Anglicized form of Scottish Gaelic Mac Beatha (“son of life”).

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «McBeth» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

In Scotland’s registers today

McBeth was recorded 14 times in Scotland’s registers of births, marriages and deaths in 2025.

That made it the 1484th most common name in those registers, shared with others on the same count. In 1975, the first year of the series, the count was 22. Each birth counts the child’s surname, each marriage both partners’ and each death the surname of the person who died — a yearly count of registrations, not of the people who live in Scotland.

National Records of Scotland, «Most Common Surnames, 2025» (published 26 May 2026): every surname recorded 10 or more times in the 2025 registers, and the series from 1975 · different spellings are counted separately — © Crown copyright 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

In print

McBeth in American newspapers,
1897–1917.

Newspaper page from The Argus carrying the name McBeth
The Argus 1897-11-27
Newspaper page from The Wallace Miner carrying the name McBeth
The Wallace Miner 1915-08-12
Newspaper page from The Grangeville Globe carrying the name McBeth
The Grangeville Globe 1917-08-16

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 6,578 pages in all carry the name.

In print

McBeth in Australian newspapers,
1830s–2000s.

2,576 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss McBeth. The most, 671, date from the 1930s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in Western Australia, at 1.7 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 1,072
Victoria 601
Western Australia 404
South Australia 345
Queensland 97
Tasmania 38
ACT (Canberra) 12
Northern Territory 5

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss McBeth.

Who carried it

People named McBeth,
with a public archive behind them.

  • W. Francis McBeth 1933–2012 · musicologist
  • John McBeth 1944–2023 · foreign correspondent
  • Kate C. McBeth 1833–1915 · missionary

Wikidata (CC0).

In the public record

People named McBeth,
in the records of 5 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States267 records

267 records of the McBeth name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 97
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 60
  • Other U.S. records 110
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record James R. McBeth

    Born 1912 in Arkansas. Enlisted 1943 at Little Rock; secondary school teacher from Monroe County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1971, buried at Little Rock National Cemetery, Arkansas.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Ronald Gene McBeth

    Born 1945; from Abilene, Texas. U.S. Army, infantryman; killed in action 1966 in South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Janet McBeth

    Arrived at New York in 1848 aboard the Erin Go Brough from Glasgow, aged 28; servant. From Great Britain.

    U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain)

Showing 3 of 267 records for McBeth in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia196 records

196 records of the McBeth name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 113
  • Tasmanian Names Index 44
  • Other Australian records 39
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record David McBeth

    Died 1922 in West¿ulverstone, Tasmania. Will registered in Tasmania in 1923.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record John McBeth

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Susan, arriving 1834; ticket of leave 1842.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Robert McBeth

    Arrived in Victoria in 1854 aboard the Queen of the Seas, aged 33; Scottish.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 196 records for McBeth in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada90 records

90 records of the McBeth name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 68
  • City of Winnipeg cemetery records 9
  • Other Canadian records 13
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record John McBeth

    Came to Ontario in 1879 aboard the Canadian, landing at Quebec, bound for Fergus, Ontario; Scotch.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record George Hall McBeth

    Died 1986, aged 59; buried at Transcona Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

    City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record John McBeth

    Died 1959 in Earltown, Colchester, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 90 records for McBeth in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

United Kingdom34 records

34 records of the McBeth name in the United Kingdom
  • Stirling Council burial records 30
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 3
  • Scottish rolls of honour, First World War 1
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record John McBeth

    Born 1879 at Barmuckity; crofter and mason. Served in the First World War. Named in the Morayshire roll of honour (1921).

    National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Mary McBeth

    Buried in 1936 at Mar Place Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland, aged 74.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record J. McBeth

    Gordon Highlanders. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1919.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 34 records for McBeth in the United Kingdom.

Counts: Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0); Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

New Zealand9 records

9 records of the McBeth name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 6
  • Marlborough District cemetery records 2
  • Thames-Coromandel District cemetery records 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Arthur McBeth

    Died 1916, aged 52; buried at Omaka Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Elizabeth Margaret McBeth

    Died 1915, aged 73; buried at Linwood Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Jack Watson Faulds McBeth

    Buried in 1982 at Totara Memorial Park Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 9 records for McBeth in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to McBeth.

When the index is not enough

This page says where McBeth is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

See the McBeth volume
Scroll to Top