Find out how popular the last name Beene is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Beene.

Beene, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Beene surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Beene in America

Beene is the 9119th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Beene surname appeared 3,581 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Beene.

We can also compare 2010 data for Beene to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Beene

The surname BEENE is believed to have originated in Germany. It is likely derived from the Old German word "bine," which means "bee." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who was a beekeeper or dealt with bees and honey.

The earliest known record of the name BEENE can be traced back to the 13th century in the town of Bienenbüttel, located in Lower Saxony, Germany. The town's name itself translates to "bee settlement," providing further evidence of the name's connection to bees.

In the 16th century, the BEENE surname appeared in various historical records and documents in the German states. One notable example is Hans Beene, a merchant from Hamburg who was mentioned in trade records from 1547.

As the surname spread across Europe, it underwent several spelling variations, including Biene, Bien, and Bein. In the 17th century, the name appeared in the Netherlands, where it was often spelled as Bien or Bein.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the BEENE surname in England can be found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Nottingham, where a William Beene was baptized in 1638.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the surname BEENE. One of the most prominent was Johann Beene (1647-1722), a German mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics.

Another notable figure was Pieter Beene (1765-1835), a Dutch painter known for his landscapes and genre scenes. His works are displayed in several prominent museums, including the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.

In the 19th century, the BEENE surname gained recognition in the United States. One of the earliest recorded individuals was John Beene (1812-1887), a farmer and landowner from Virginia.

Another notable American with the surname was William Beene (1870-1942), a businessman and philanthropist from Texas. He founded the Beene Foundation, which supported various educational and charitable initiatives.

Finally, one of the most well-known individuals with the surname BEENE in modern times was the fashion designer Geoffrey Beene (1927-2004). He was renowned for his innovative designs and received numerous accolades, including eight Coty Awards and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Beene

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Beene.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Beene was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Beene has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Beene was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Beene, please contact us.

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