Laurel calls Susannah “Beck” because it’s a special nickname based on Susannah’s last name and, in the books, also tied to Laurel’s feminist beliefs.

Quick Scoop: What “Beck” Means

  • In the TV show The Summer I Turned Pretty , “Beck” comes from Susannah’s maiden name, Beck , which she had before marrying Adam Fisher.
  • Laurel met Susannah in college, when she was still Susannah Beck, so the nickname started back then and simply stuck for decades.
  • By using this old name, Laurel is signaling how long and deep their friendship runs – she knew Susannah before husbands, divorces, and kids.

Fans often describe “Beck” as the name that belongs to “young Susannah,” the version Laurel first loved as a friend, which makes it feel intimate and nostalgic.

Book vs. Show: Extra Meaning

  • In the book canon, Laurel is written as a strong feminist who believes women shouldn’t have to change their names for men.
  • Because of that, the books explicitly say she calls Susannah by her maiden name “Beck” as a quiet statement that Susannah’s identity doesn’t have to be defined by her husband’s surname.
  • So in the books, the nickname is both feminist and affectionate; in the show, the emphasis is more on their long history and emotional bond.

How Fans Are Talking About It (2023–2025)

  • On forums and social posts, people kept asking “Did I miss an explanation for Beck?” after season 1 dropped, especially around the beach scene discussing Susannah’s health.
  • Other viewers usually answer that it’s her maiden name and a friendship nickname, sometimes adding the feminist angle from the books for extra context.
  • Short explainers and TikToks from late 2023–2025 now routinely sum it up as: “It’s her maiden name and a term of endearment that shows how long Laurel has known her.”

TL;DR: Laurel calls her “Beck” because that was Susannah’s maiden name, and it became an intimate, long‑standing nickname; in the books, it also reflects Laurel’s belief that a woman’s own name and identity matter just as much as any marriage.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.