2000
#8,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,600
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.33
Rare Last name
Beene
Derived from Middle English "bene," meaning "bean," likely referring to a grower or seller of beans.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,844 Americans carry the last name Beene. That puts it at #9,320 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 89,166 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Beene surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
3.8K
1 in 89,166
Census rank
#9,320
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,352 bearers of the surname Beene in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9320th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Beene, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.2%. The next largest groups are Black (20.8%) and Two or More Races (5.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Beene
Among Census respondents with the surname Beene, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.2%. The next largest groups are Black (20.8%) and Two or More Races (5.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Beene bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Beene surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White68.2% · 2,287
- Black or African American20.8% · 698
- Two or more races5.3% · 177
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 114
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 56
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 20
Timeline
Historical Census data for Beene
Beene appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#9,119
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,581
-19 bearers (-0.5%)
Per 100,000 1.21
Rank movement Down 687 places
2020
#9,320
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,352
-229 bearers (-6.4%)
Per 100,000 1.12
Rank movement Down 201 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,432 | 3,600 | 1.33 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,119 | 3,581 | 1.21 | -19 bearers (-0.5%) | Down 687 places |
| 2020 | #9,320 | 3,352 | 1.12 | -229 bearers (-6.4%) | Down 201 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Beene surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #9,119 | #9,320 | -2.2% |
| Count | 3,581 | 3,352 | -6.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.21 | 1.12 | -7.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Beene bearers went from 3,581 to 3,352 (-6.4% change). The surname moved down 201 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,119 to #9,320.
FAQ
Beene surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Beene?
Name Census estimates that about 3,844 living Americans carry the surname Beene. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 89,166 residents.
How common is Beene?
Beene ranks #9,320 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.12 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,352 people with the surname Beene. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,844), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.12 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Beene.
Has Beene become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Beene went from 3,581 recorded bearers to 3,352. That is a decrease of 229 (-6.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,119 to #9,320.
What does the Census say about the background of Beene?
Among Census respondents with the surname Beene, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.2%. The next largest groups are Black (20.8%) and Two or More Races (5.3%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Beene in the 2020 Census, accounting for 68.2% (2,287 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Beene appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (68.2%), Black (20.8%), Two or More Races (5.3%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Beene (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Beene mean?
Derived from Middle English "bene," meaning "bean," likely referring to a grower or seller of beans. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Beene (1.12 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Beene?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Beene at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.