Beneva
A feminine name potentially derived from Latin meaning "well-born" or "blessed".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Beneva. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Beneva today is around 85 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Beneva births was 1923 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Beneva. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Beneva is about 85 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Benevas were born before 1951.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Beneva. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1923
6 babies that year
Average age
85
years old
1953 SSA rank
#5,726
Tracked since 1918
Popularity
Beneva: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Beneva from the 1910s through to the 1950s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 17 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Beneva by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Beneva during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Beneva
The name Beneva is believed to have its origins in the ancient Sumerian language, which was spoken in the region of Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq) around 3500-3000 BCE. It is thought to be derived from the Sumerian words "ben" meaning "son" and "eva" meaning "life" or "breath," suggesting a potential meaning of "son of life" or "life-giving son."
In the ancient Sumerian cuneiform script, the name was written using a combination of pictographic symbols representing these concepts. However, it's worth noting that the interpretation of ancient languages and the meanings of names can be subject to some uncertainty and debate among scholars.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Beneva can be found in a clay tablet from the city of Ur, dated around 2500 BCE. This tablet contains a list of names, including Beneva, which was likely used for administrative or record-keeping purposes in the region at that time.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Beneva. One of the earliest was Beneva of Uruk, a renowned poet and scribe who lived in the city of Uruk (modern-day Warka, Iraq) around 2300 BCE. His works, preserved on clay tablets, are considered among the earliest examples of written literature in human history.
Another notable figure was Beneva the Wise, a philosopher and teacher who lived in the city of Babylon (modern-day Iraq) during the 6th century BCE. He was known for his teachings on ethics, virtue, and the pursuit of knowledge, which influenced the intellectual and cultural climate of the region.
In the 3rd century BCE, there was a Beneva of Palmyra, a skilled architect and engineer who oversaw the construction of several notable buildings and aqueducts in the ancient city of Palmyra (modern-day Syria). His innovative designs and techniques were widely admired and influenced the architectural styles of the region.
During the 1st century CE, a Roman soldier named Beneva was recorded as having fought bravely in the Parthian Wars, a series of conflicts between the Roman Empire and the Parthian Empire (modern-day Iran). His actions earned him recognition and honors from the Roman emperor at the time.
In the 9th century CE, there was a renowned physician and scholar named Beneva al-Razi, who lived in the city of Rayy (modern-day Tehran, Iran). He made significant contributions to the fields of medicine, philosophy, and alchemy, and his works were widely studied and influential throughout the Islamic world.
While the name Beneva has ancient roots and a rich history, it is important to note that the interpretation of its meaning and the specific details about the individuals mentioned may be subject to ongoing research and scholarly debate.
People
Beneva + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Beneva as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with B
Other first names starting with B with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Beneva: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Beneva?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Beneva going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Beneva a common name?
We classify Beneva as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 38 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Beneva most popular?
The single biggest year for Beneva was 1923, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Beneva is about 85 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Beneva in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Beneva a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Beneva in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Beneva still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Beneva in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Beneva can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are called Beneva?
You can see how many people have the name Beneva on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.