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

Benaim, 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 Benaim surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Benaim in America

Benaim is the 146201st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Benaim surname appeared 113 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 Benaim.

The history of the last name Benaim

The surname Benaim has its origins in the Iberian Peninsula, specifically in the regions of Spain and Portugal. It is a Sephardic Jewish name, derived from the Hebrew phrase "Ben Ayim," which translates to "son of the islands." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname may have resided on islands or coastal areas in the Mediterranean region.

During the Middle Ages, the Benaim family was among the vibrant Jewish communities in Spain and Portugal. They likely faced persecution and expulsion alongside other Jews during the Spanish Inquisition of the late 15th century. Many Sephardic Jews fled to North Africa, the Ottoman Empire, and other parts of Europe, carrying their surnames with them.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Benaim name can be found in the 13th century in the book "Sefer Ha-Kabbalah" by Rabbi Abraham ben David of Posquières. This work references a scholar named Isaac ben Judah Benaim, indicating the presence of the surname in medieval times.

In the 16th century, a prominent figure bearing the Benaim surname was Rabbi Joseph Benaim, a renowned Talmudic scholar and philosopher who lived in Salonica (present-day Thessaloniki, Greece). He wrote several influential works, including commentaries on the Mishnah and the Talmud.

Another notable individual was Jacob Benaim, a 17th-century rabbi and kabbalist from Izmir (modern-day Smyrna, Turkey). He authored several mystical and ethical treatises, including "Shaarei Zion" and "Shaarei Teshuvah."

In the 19th century, Abraham Benaim was a prominent Jewish merchant and philanthropist in Alexandria, Egypt. He played a significant role in establishing the city's Jewish community and supporting various charitable causes.

A more recent figure was David Benaim, a 20th-century Moroccan-born Israeli artist and sculptor. Born in 1914 in Casablanca, he is known for his abstract works and contributions to the Israeli art scene.

Throughout history, variations of the Benaim surname have been documented, such as Benayu, Beneym, and Bennaim. These spelling differences likely arose due to the migration and dispersal of Sephardic Jews across various regions and the influence of local languages and dialects.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Benaim

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

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 Benaim 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.

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

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

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