Becker (German pronunciation: [ˈbɛkɐ, -kər]) is one of the German-language surnames, along with Bäcker and Baecker, that derive from the [baːk]~[bɛk] root, which refers to baking. The surname began as a name for a baker (and thus his family). In northern Germany, it can also derive from the word Beck for Bach ("creek" or "brook") to denote origin.
Contents
Geographical distribution
As of 2014, 55.3% of all known bearers of the surname Becker were residents of Germany (frequency 1:287), 24.7% of the United States (1:2,891), 8.0% of Brazil (1:5,052), 2.7% of France (1:4,987), 2.0% of South Africa (1:5,431) and 1.2% of Canada (1:6,120).
In Germany, the frequency of the surname was higher than the national average (1:287) in the following states:
Saarland (1:84)
Rhineland-Palatinate (1:123)
Hesse (1:159)
North Rhine-Westphalia (1:226)
Saxony-Anhalt (1:248)
People
A
Aaron Becker (born 1974), American writer and illustrator
Abigail Becker (1830s–1905), Canadian farmer and trapper
Adam Becker (born 1984), American astrophysicist and author
Adolf von Becker (1831–1909), Finnish artist
Aharon Becker (1905–1995), Israeli politician
Alan S. Becker (1946–2020), American politician and lawyer
Albert Becker (chess player) (1896–1984), Austrian-Argentine chess master
Albert Becker (composer) (1834–1899), German composer and conductor
Albert L. Becker (1911–1992), United States Navy officer
Albrecht Becker (1906–2002), German designer, actor and photographer
Alexander K. Becker (1818–1901), German botanist and entomologist
Alexandra Becker (born 1995), German politician
Alfred Becker (1899–1981), German engineer and military officer
Alfred G. Becker (1887–1956), American politician from Wisconsin
Alice Becker-Ho (born 1941), French poet
Alison Becker, American actress and television writer
Alisson Becker (born 1992), Brazilian footballer
B
Barbara Becker (born 1966), German-American designer and model
B. Jay Becker (1904–1987), American lawyer and bridge player
Beals Becker (1886–1943), American baseball player
Ben Becker (born 1964), German actor
Benjamin Becker (born 1981), German tennis player
Bente Becker (born 1985), Dutch politician
Benton Becker (1938–2015), American lawyer
Bernard Becker (1920–2013, American ophthalmologist
Bertha Becker (1930–2013), Brazilian geographer
Betsy Becker, American statistician and researcher
Bill Becker (1916–2010), American journalist
Bo Becker (born 1971), Swedish economist and academic
Bob Becker (baseball) (1875–1951), American baseball player
Bob Becker (composer) (born 1947), American percussionist and composer
Bob Becker (music executive) (born c.1963), American music executive and musician
Bobby Becker (1918–1954), American professional wrestler
Bonifatius Becker (1898–1981), German abbot
Boris Becker (born 1967), German tennis player, coach, and commentator
C
Cacilda Becker (1921–1969), Brazilian actress
Calice Becker (born c.1964), French perfumer
Carol Becker, American writer and academic administrator
Carl Becker (general) (1895–1966), German general
Carl Becker (marine painter) (1862–1926), German marine artist
Carl Ferdinand Becker (1804–1877), German musician
Carl Fredrick Becker (1919–2013), American luthier and restorer
Carl Heinrich Becker (1876–1933), German orientalist and politician
Carl K. Becker (1894–1990), American doctor and missionary
Carl L. Becker (1873–1945), American historian
Caroline Becker (1826–1881), Finnish photographer
Carolyn Becker (born 1958), American volleyball player
Catherina Becker (born 1964), German researcher
Carsten Becker (born 1990), German politician
Charles Becker (1870–1915), American police officer and convicted murderer
Charles Becker (politician) (1840–1908), German-American politician
Charles J. Becker (1924–2007), American politician
D
Dale Becker, American mastering engineer
Daniel Levin Becker (born 1984), American writer
Danzel Becker (1948–2017), South African cricketer and umpire
Dave Becker (born 1957), American football player
David Becker (born 1961), American jazz guitarist
David M. Becker (1947–2026), American lawyer at the Securities and Exchange Commission
David Rambo Becker known as David (footballer, born June 1995), Brazilian footballer
Denese Becker (born 1973), Guatemalan survivor of the Rio Negro massacre
Desiree Becker (born 1994), German politician
Diane Becker (born 1969), American film producer
Diane M. Becker (1943–2021), American nurse and public health scientist
Diego Becker (born 1997), Argentine footballer
Dietrich Becker (c.1623–1679), German violinist and composer
Dirk Becker (born 1966), German politician
Dismas Becker (1936–2010), American politician
Dominik Becker (born 2000), German footballer
Donald Becker, American software developer
E
Eberhard Becker (born 1943), German mathematician
Ed Becker (died 2007), American businessman and author
Edmund Becker (born 1956), German footballer and manager
Edward R. Becker (1933–2006), American judge
Elena Becker-Barroso, Spanish molecular biologist
Elisabeth Becker (1923–1946), German concentration camp guard
Elisabeth Winkelmeier-Becker (born 1962), German lawyer and politician
Elizabeth Becker (journalist) (born 1947), American author and journalist
Elizabeth Becker (politician) (born 1969), Namibian politician
Elizabeth Becker-Pinkston (1903–1989), American diver
Ellen Becker (born 1960), German rower
Emma Becker (born 1988), French writer
Ernest Becker (athletic director) (1914–1998), American tennis player and coach
Ernie Becker (Canadian football) (1925–2007), Canadian football player
Eric Becker, American businessperson
Eric Becker (baseball) (born 2005), American baseball player
Eric M. B. Becker, American writer and translator
F
Fabrice Becker (born 1971), French freestyle skier
Felicitas Becker (born 1971), German historian
Felix Becker (art historian) (1864–1928), German art historian
Felix Becker (fencer) (1964), German fencer
Felix Becker (officer) (1893–1979), German army officer
Ferdinand Becker (1846–1877), German painter
Fernando Becker (born 1955), Spanish economist and politician
Finn Ole Becker (born 2000), German footballer
Florence Hague Becker (1886–1971), American clubwoman
Francis H. Becker (1915–2011), American judge in Iowa
Frank Becker (canoeist), West German slalom canoeist
Frank J. Becker (1899–1981), American politician from New York State
Franz Becker (1918–1965), German footballer
Franziska Becker (born 1949), German cartoonist
Franziska Becker (politician) (born 1967), German politician
Fred Becker (1895–1918), American football player
Frederick G. Becker (1913–2004), American artist
Fritz Becker (1888–1963), German footballer
G
Gabriele Becker (born 1975), German sprinter
Gary Becker (1930–2014), American economist
Gavin Becker (born 1999), American musician and actor
Gavin de Becker (born 1954), American security specialist and author
Geoffrey Becker, American writer
George Becker (composer) (1834–1928), German-Swiss composer and writer on music
George Becker (labor leader) (1928–2007), American labor leader
George Becker (musician) (born 1963), American country musician
George Becker (politician) (1877–1941), Australian politician
George Becker (wrestler) (1914–1999), American professional wrestler
George Ferdinand Becker (1847–1919), American geologist
George Loomis Becker (1829–1904), American politician from Minnesota
Georges Becker (peintre) (1846–1909), French painter
Gerd Becker (chemist) (1940–2017), German chemist
Gerd Becker (handballer) (born 1953), German handball player
Gerda Becker (born 1956/7), Dutch table tennis player
Gerhold K. Becker (born 1943), German philosopher
H
Hal Becker (born 1954), American writer
Hal de Becker (1931–2021), American dancer and writer
Hans-Josef Becker (born 1948), German Roman Catholic archbishop
Hans Becker-Foss (born 1949), German conductor
Harmony Becker, American cartoonist and illustrator
Harold Becker (born 1928), American film producer and director
Harry Becker (artist) (1865–1928), English artist
Harry Becker (politician) (1892–1980), British politician
Hartmut Becker (1938–2022), German actor
Harvey Becker (born 1960), British tennis player
Heidi Becker-Ramlow (1954–1987), German diver
Heidi N. Becker, American planetary scientist
Heini Becker (born 1935), Australian politician
Heinrich Becker (1770–1822), German actor
Heinz Becker (1915–1991), German baseball player
Heinz Becker (musicologist) (1922–2006), German composer and musicologist
Heinz K. Becker (born 1950), Austrian politician
Hellmuth Becker (politician) (1902–1962), German Nazi politician
I
Ilse Becker (1912–2004), German lawyer and politician
Ingrid Becker (born 1942), German athlete
Ingrid Becker-Inglau (born 1946), German politician
Irene Becker (born 1952), German nurse and serial killer
Isabel Lastres Becker (born 1974), Spanish biochemist
Isabelle Becker (1964–2024), French singer
J
Jack Ellerton Becker (1904–1979), Australian entrepreneur
Jacques Becker (1906–1960), French filmmaker
Jakob Becker (1810–1872), German artist
Jamie Becker-Finn (born 1982), American politician
Jana Becker (born 2006), German middle-distance runner
Jason Becker (born 1969), American guitarist and composer
Jason Becker (ice hockey) (born 1974), Canadian ice hockey player
Jasper Becker (born 1956), British author and journalist
Jazmín López Becker (born 1992), Argentine windsurfer
Jean Becker (director) (born 1933), French film director and screenwriter
Jean Becker (footballer) (1922–2009), Luxembourgish footballer
Jean Becker (violinist) (1833–1884), German violinist
Jean-Jacques Becker (1928–2023), French historian
Jeffrey M. Becker, American microbiologist
Jens Becker (born 1965), German bassist
Jérôme Becker (1850–1912), Belgian explorer and artillery officer
Jerónimo Bécker (1857–1925), Spanish historian and diplomat
K
Kåre Becker (born 1978), Dutch footballer
Karl Becker (painter) (1820–1900), German painter
Karl Becker (philologist) (1775–1849), German philologist
Karl Becker (politician, born 1923) (1923–2002), German politician
Karl Becker (statistician) (1823–1896), German statistician
Karl Friedrich Becker (1777–1806), German educator and historian
Karl Heinrich Emil Becker (1879–1940), German general
Karl-Heinz Becker (athlete) (1912–2001), German long-distance runner
Karl-Heinz Becker (pilot) (1918–2006), Luftwaffe jet pilot
Karl Josef Becker (1928–2015), German Catholic theologian and cardinal-deacon
Karol Becker, Czechoslovak sprint canoer
Kathrin Becker, German curator
Katja Becker (born 1965), German biochemist
Katrin Becker (born 1967), German theoretical physicist
KC Becker, American politician from Colorado
Ken Becker (1932–2007), American sports coach
Kerstin Becker (born 1969), German writer and poet
L
Lance Becker (born 1954), American physician and academic
Lars Becker (born 1954), German film director and screenwriter
Lawrence Becker (1869–1947), American lawyer and Treasury official
Lawrence C. Becker (1939–2018), American philosopher
Léon Becker (1826–1909), Belgian painter
Leonard F. Becker (1920–1991), American politician and businessman
Liliane Becker (1942–1981), Luxembourgish gymnast
Lina Maria Becker (1898–1976), German politician
Lisa Becker (born 1990), German politician
Liselotte Becker-Egner (1931–2015), German operatic soprano
Loftus Becker, American legal scholar
Lorenz Becker (1889–1952), American politician from Wisconsin
Louis Becker (born 1962), Danish architect
Ludwig Becker (architect) (1855–1940), German architect
Ludwig Becker (astronomer) (1860–1947), British astronomer
Ludwig Becker (explorer) (1808–1861), German artist, explorer and naturalist
Ludwig Becker (pilot) (1911–1943), German World War II flying ace
M
Maike Becker (born 1962), German handball player
Manfred Becker (born 1960), German-Canadian filmmaker
Marc Becker (born 1962), American academic
Marcus Becker (born 1981), German canoeist
Markus Becker (pianist) (born 1963)Pages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets, German pianist
Margaret Becker (born 1959), American singer
Magdalena Hergert Becker (1878–1938), American Mennonite missionary
Maria Becker (1920–2012), German actress and director
Mariana Becker (born 1971), Brazilian sports journalist and television reporter
Marie Alexandrine Becker (1879–1942), Belgian serial killer
Marie De Becker (1880–1946), English-American actress
Marion Becker (born 1950), German javelin thrower
Marion Rombauer Becker (1903–1976), American cookbook writer
Maritta Becker (born 1981), German ice hockey player and coach
Marty Becker (1889-1957), American baseball player
Mary Becker, American politician from Alaska
Mary Kay Becker (born 1946), American politician from Washington state and judge
N
Nadja Becker (born 1978), German actress
Nancy A. Becker (born 1955), American judge
Nanobah Becker, American filmmaker
Natalie Becker, South African actress
Nate Becker (born 1996), American football player
Neal Dow Becker (1883–1955), American lawyer and diplomat
Nick Becker (born 1968), American volleyball player
Nick Becker (baseball) (born 2006), American baseball player
Nicolas Becker (jurist) (born 1946), German criminal defense lawyer
Nicolas Becker (sound engineer), French composer and sound engineer
Nicholas E. Becker (1842–1920), American politician in Wisconsin
Nicole Becker, Argentine climate activist
Nicole Blank Becker, American lawyer
Niels Becker (born 1942), Australian rules footballer and biologist
Nikolaus Becker (1809–1845), German lawyer and poet
Nina Becker (born 1974), Brazilian singer-songwriter
Noah Becker (born 1970), American artist and writer
Norbert Becker (agroscientist) (1937–2012), German agricultural scientist
O
Oscar Patric Sturzen-Becker (1811–1869), Swedish poet and writer
Oskar Becker (1889–1964), German philosopher
Oskar Becker (assailant) (1839–1868), German fanatic and failed assassin
Otie Chew Becker (1880–1953), English violinist and music educator
Otto Heinrich Enoch Becker (1828–1890), German ophthalmologist
Otto Becker (equestrian) (born 1958), German equestrian
Otto Becker (fencer) (1887–1970), Danish fencer
P
Pablo Becker (born 1993), Argentine footballer
Paul Becker, Canadian choreographer
Paul Becker (admiral) (born 1961), American admiral and intelligence chief
Paula Modersohn-Becker (1876–1907), German expressionist painter and draftswoman
Pete Becker, American C++ consultant
Peter Becker (actor) (born 1979), Anglo-German actor
Peter Becker (biologist) (born 1958), German molecular biologist
Peter Becker (curler) (born 1949), New Zealand curler and coach
Peter Becker (rower) (born 1956), German rower
Peter Emil Becker (1908–2000), German neurologist, psychiatrist and geneticist
Philip Becker (1830–1898), American politician
Philipp Jakob Becker (born 1763), German painter
Q
Quinn H. Becker (1930–2022), Surgeon General of the US Army
R
Rafael Becker (born 1991), Brazilian professional golfer
Rainer Becker (born 1961), German chef and restaurateur
Ralf Becker (born 1970), German footballer and coach
Ralph Elihu Becker (1907–1994), United States ambassador
Ralph Becker (Utah politician) (born 1952), American politician, son of Ralph Elihu Becker
Randi Becker (born 1948), American politician
Randy Becker (born 1970), American actor and producer
Randy Becker (racing driver) (born 1952), American racing driver
Raymond De Becker (1912-1969), Belgian journalist and writer
Regina Becker-Schmidt (1937–2024), German psychologist and sociologist
Reinhold Becker (born 1959), German swimmer
Reinhold Becker (composer) (1842–1924), German composer
Rich Becker (born 1972), American baseball player
Richard Becker (music publisher) (1934–2025), American music publisher
Richard Becker (physicist) (1887–1955), German physicist
Richard Becker (tennis) (born 1991), German tennis player
Richard M. Becker (1931–2007), American politician
S
Sabine Becker (born 1959), German speed skater
Saga Becker (born 1988), Swedish actress
Sally Becker (born 1962), British humanitarian aid worker
Samuel William Becker, American dermatologist who documented Becker's nevus
Sandra Becker (born 1967), German artist
Sandra Lynne Becker (1947–2015), American beauty pageant contestant
Sandro Becker (born 1971), Brazilian footballer
Sandy Becker (1922–1996), American announcer, actor and comedian
Sarah Becker (1813–1901), American linguist
Saul Becker, British academic and social scientist
Scott Becker (born 1984), New Zealand curler and coach
Sebastian Becker (born 1985), German footballer
Sean Becker (born 1975), New Zealand curler, brother of Scott Becker
Sean Michael Becker (born 1981), American film director
Serge Becker (born 1961), Swiss creative director and nightlife designer
Sharon Becker, American actress
Sherburn M. Becker (1876–1949), American politician in Wisconsin
T
Tal Becker (born 1972), Australian-Israeli lawyer
Tanja Becker-Bender (born 1978), German violinist
Terry Becker (1921–2014), American actor, director and producer
Théo Becker (born 1976), Brazilian actor and singer
Theodor Becker (1840–1928), Danish-German civil engineer and entomologist
Theodor Becker (actor) (1880–1952), German actor
Thomas Becker (bobsleigh) (born 1948), American bobsledder
Thomas Becker (canoeist born 1967) (born 1967), German slalom canoeist
Thomas Becker (canoeist, born 1990) (born 1990), German slalom canoeist
Thomas Albert Andrew Becker (1832–1899), American Catholic bishop
Thorsten Becker (born 1980), German footballer
Timo Becker (born 1997), German footballer
Tom Becker (writer) (born 1981), British children's writer
Tom Becker (baseball) (born 1975), Australian baseball pitcher
Tom Becker (basketball) (1923–1991), American basketball player
Tony Becker (born 1963), American actor
U
Uwe Becker (born 1955), German middle-distance runner
V
Valentin Eduard Becker (1814–1890), German composer
Vaneta Becker (born 1949), American politician
Vasco Becker-Weinberg (born 1979), Portuguese politician
Verena Becker (born 1952), German terrorist
Vincent Becker (born 1947), Irish rugby union footballer
Vitalie Becker (born 2005), German footballer
W
Waldemar Becker (1840–1907), Finnish soldier and politician
Walt Becker (born 1968), American filmmaker
Walter Becker (1950–2017), American musician and record producer
Walter Becker (cyclist) (1932–2012), German cyclist
Wayland Becker (1910–1984), American football player
Wayne M. Becker (1940–2025), American botanist
Wilhelm Adolf Becker (1796–1846), German classical scholar
Wilhelm Gottlieb Becker (1753–1813), German art historian and numismatist
Willi Becker (1918–1977), German politician
William D. Becker (1876–1943), American mayor of St. Louis
William H. Becker (1909–1992), American judge in Missouri
William J. Becker (1927–2015), American theatre critic
William W. Becker (1921–2007), American entrepreneur
Wiren Becker, American electrical engineer
Wolfgang Becker (director, born 1910) (1910–2005), German film director and editor
Wolfgang Becker (director, born 1954) (1954–2024), German filmmaker
Y
Yannis Becker (born 1991), German footballer
Middle name
Herman Becker Fast (1887–1938), American businessman, farmer, and politician