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

Behn, 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 Behn surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Behn in America

Behn is the 20806th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Behn surname appeared 1,269 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 Behn.

We can also compare 2010 data for Behn 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 Behn

The surname BEHN has its origins in Germany, where it first appeared in the late 13th century. It is derived from the Old German word "behen" which means "to dwell" or "to reside". This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived in a particular location or region.

In its earliest form, the name was often spelled as "Behen" or "Behen". Over time, as the name spread to other parts of Europe, various spelling variations emerged, including "Behn", "Behen", and "Behne".

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Dortmund city records of 1294, where a certain "Heinrich Behen" is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the Dortmund region by the late 13th century.

During the 14th and 15th centuries, the name appears in various historical documents and records across Germany, with notable individuals bearing the name including Hans Behen, a prominent merchant from Nuremberg (born around 1420), and Katharina Behen, a landowner from Cologne (flourished in the late 15th century).

As the name spread beyond Germany, it also took on various forms in different languages. In the Netherlands, for example, it became "Behn" or "Beene", while in England, it was often spelled as "Behen" or "Behne".

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in England can be found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Bury St. Edmunds, where a certain "William Behen" is mentioned in 1568. Another notable early bearer of the name in England was Aphra Behn (1640-1689), a renowned writer and playwright who is often referred to as the first professional female writer in English literature.

Other notable individuals with the surname BEHN throughout history include Johann Christian Behn (1722-1802), a German composer and organist; Jens Behn (1819-1899), a German-American businessman and politician who served as mayor of Milwaukee; and Max Behn (1884-1949), a German-American engineer and industrialist who played a key role in the development of the modern air conditioning system.

Overall, the surname BEHN has a rich history that can be traced back to its German origins in the late 13th century, and it has since spread to various parts of Europe and beyond, with bearers of the name making notable contributions in fields such as literature, music, business, and engineering.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Behn

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

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

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

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