2010
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Benante
Italian surname referring to a prosperous or fortunate person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Benante. 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 Benante 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 Benante 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 Benante, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Benante
The surname Benante has its origins in Italy, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated from the Italian word "bene," which means "good" or "well." The name likely emerged as a descriptive surname, initially given to an individual or family who was well-regarded or known for their virtuous qualities.
The earliest recorded instances of the Benante surname can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of Italy, including Sicily and the Campania region. Historical records from that time period often referred to individuals by their place of origin or a distinguishing physical or personal characteristic, which could have contributed to the formation of this surname.
One notable historical reference to the Benante name is found in the records of the city of Naples, where a certain Giovanni Benante was mentioned as a respected merchant in the year 1356. Another early record comes from the town of Salerno, where a Giacomo Benante was listed as a landowner in 1412.
In the 15th century, the Benante surname appeared in several historical documents from the town of Caserta, located in the Campania region. One such document, dated 1467, mentions a Lorenzo Benante as a prominent citizen and member of the local council.
Throughout the centuries, several individuals bearing the Benante surname have achieved notable recognition. One such figure was Niccolò Benante, a renowned Italian architect who lived in the late 16th century and was responsible for designing several churches and public buildings in Rome.
Another notable Benante was Vincenzo Benante, a celebrated painter from Naples who lived during the 17th century. His works, which often depicted religious scenes and landscapes, can still be found in various churches and museums throughout Italy.
In the 19th century, Giuseppe Benante, a lawyer and political activist from Palermo, Sicily, played a significant role in the Italian unification movement, advocating for the integration of Sicily into the newly formed Kingdom of Italy.
As the Benante name spread across Italy and beyond, it also underwent various spelling variations, such as Bennante, Benante, and Bennati, reflecting the regional dialects and linguistic influences of different areas.
While the Benante surname may not be among the most common Italian surnames, it has a rich historical legacy dating back to the medieval period, with connections to various regions of Italy and individuals who have made notable contributions in fields ranging from architecture and art to law and politics.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Benante
Among Census respondents with the surname Benante, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Benante 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 Benante surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.3% · 103
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.9% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Benante
Benante appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
+5 bearers (+4.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 6,793 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.9%) | Up 6,793 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 Benante 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 | #158,432 | #151,639 | 4.3% |
| Count | 102 | 107 | 4.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 19.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Benante bearers went from 102 to 107 (+4.9% change). The surname moved up 6,793 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #151,639.
FAQ
Benante surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Benante?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Benante. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Benante?
Benante 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 Benante. 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 Benante.
Has Benante become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Benante went from 102 recorded bearers to 107. That is an increase of 5 (+4.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Benante?
Among Census respondents with the surname Benante, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%) 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 Benante in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.3% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Benante appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.3%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%), 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 Benante (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 Benante mean?
Italian surname referring to a prosperous or fortunate person. 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 Benante (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 have the last name Benante?
If you just want to know how common the surname Benante is, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.