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

Beenen, 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 Beenen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Beenen in America

Beenen is the 144141st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Beenen surname appeared 115 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Beenen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Beenen 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 Beenen

The surname Beenen is of Dutch origin, tracing its roots back to the Middle Ages in the Netherlands. It is believed to have originated as a locational name, derived from the place name Beenen or Beene, which are small villages located in the eastern part of the country.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the archives of the town of Deventer, dated 1392, which mentions a certain Jan van Beenen. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the region by the late 14th century.

The name Beenen is thought to be derived from the Old Dutch word "ben," meaning "leg" or "shin." This could indicate that the name may have originally referred to a physical characteristic or occupation related to legs or walking. However, the exact origin and meaning remain uncertain.

In the 16th century, records show the name Beenen appearing in various spellings, such as Beene, Bene, and Beenen. This was a common occurrence during that time, as spelling conventions were not yet standardized.

One notable figure bearing the Beenen name was Pieter Beenen, a Dutch painter who lived from 1592 to 1638. His works, primarily portraits and religious scenes, can be found in several museums across the Netherlands.

Another individual of note was Gerrit Beenen, born in 1770, who served as a magistrate in the city of Rotterdam during the late 18th century. He played a significant role in the administration of justice in the region.

In the 19th century, the Beenen family produced several individuals who made their mark in various fields. Willem Beenen (1801-1879) was a prominent architect responsible for designing several notable buildings in Amsterdam.

Johannes Beenen (1846-1924) was a respected linguist and author, known for his contributions to the study of Germanic languages and his translations of classical literary works.

Lastly, Hendrik Beenen (1877-1953) was a pioneering aviator who played a crucial role in the development of aviation in the Netherlands. He established the country's first flying school and was instrumental in promoting the use of aircraft for commercial purposes.

While the Beenen surname may not be among the most common in the Netherlands today, its rich history and the accomplishments of those who bore it have left an indelible mark on Dutch culture and society.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Beenen

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

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 Beenen 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 Beenen 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 Beenen was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!