2000
#133,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Bemben
A surname likely derived from a placename of German or Polish origin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Bemben. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bemben 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Bemben in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bemben, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.1%. The next largest groups are Black (0.9%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bemben
The surname BEMBEN is of German origin, with roots tracing back to the medieval period. The name likely derived from the Old German word "beme," meaning "tree," and the suffix "-en," denoting a place or location. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near a specific tree or wooded area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the BEMBEN name can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of medieval German documents dating back to the 12th century. Here, the name appears as "Bemben," referring to a landowner in the region of Saxony.
During the 15th century, the BEMBEN name gained prominence in the city of Nuremberg, where several families bearing this surname were involved in various trades and crafts. Notably, Hans BEMBEN (1420-1492) was a respected woodcarver known for his intricate religious sculptures adorning local churches.
In the 16th century, the BEMBEN name spread to other parts of Germany, with records showing individuals bearing this surname in cities such as Leipzig and Cologne. One notable figure from this period was Martin BEMBEN (1548-1612), a Lutheran theologian and author who wrote extensively on religious reform.
As the BEMBEN family branched out across Europe, some members adopted variations of the name, such as BEMBEN, BEMBEN, and BEMBEN. In the 17th century, a BEMBEN family settled in the Netherlands, where they became prominent merchants and traders.
Another significant figure in the BEMBEN lineage was Johann Friedrich BEMBEN (1717-1788), a German philosopher and educator who advocated for progressive teaching methods and authored several influential works on education.
Throughout the 19th century, the BEMBEN name continued to be found across various regions of Germany, with individuals from this family pursuing diverse professions, including law, medicine, and academia. One notable example is Elisabeth BEMBEN (1856-1932), a pioneering German feminist and activist who fought for women's rights and suffrage.
While the BEMBEN surname may not be among the most common today, its rich history spans centuries and is deeply rooted in German culture and tradition.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bemben
Among Census respondents with the surname Bemben, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.1%. The next largest groups are Black (0.9%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Bemben 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 Bemben surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White98.1% · 105
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bemben
Bemben 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
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-6 bearers (-5.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,233 places
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-4 bearers (-3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,292 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #133,114 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.1%) | Down 15,233 places |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.6%) | Down 3,292 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 Bemben 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 | #148,347 | #151,639 | -2.2% |
| Count | 111 | 107 | -3.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bemben bearers went from 111 to 107 (-3.6% change). The surname moved down 3,292 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #151,639.
FAQ
Bemben surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bemben?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Bemben. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Bemben?
Bemben ranks #151,639 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 107 people with the surname Bemben. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Bemben.
Has Bemben become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bemben went from 111 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #148,347 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Bemben?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bemben, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.1%. The next largest groups are Black (0.9%) and Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Bemben in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.1% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bemben appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (98.1%), Black (0.9%), Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Bemben (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 Bemben mean?
A surname likely derived from a placename of German or Polish origin. 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 Bemben (0.04 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 many people are called Bemben?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Bemben, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.