2000
#13,019
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,159
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.80
Rare Last name
Benard
A French surname derived from the Germanic name Bernhard, composed of the elements "bear" and "brave" or "hardy."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,539 Americans carry the last name Benard. That puts it at #13,216 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.74 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 134,996 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Benard 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
2.5K
1 in 134,996
Census rank
#13,216
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,214 bearers of the surname Benard in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.74 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13216th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Benard, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.9%. The next largest groups are Black (30.9%) and Hispanic (10.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Benard
The surname Benard has its origins in France, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French name "Bernard," which is a compound word formed from the Germanic elements "bern" (bear) and "hard" (brave, hardy). This name was quite popular during the medieval period and was often given to boys in hopes that they would grow up to embody the strength and courage associated with bears.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Benard can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive record of landowners and properties in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry mentions a landowner named Bernard in the county of Wiltshire.
In the 12th century, a French nobleman named Bernard de Ventadour (c. 1135-1195) gained fame as a renowned troubadour and poet. His works, written in the Occitan language, have been influential in the development of courtly love literature.
During the 13th century, the name Benard appeared in various records across France, often associated with notable individuals. For instance, Bernard de Tramelay (c. 1230-1293) was a prominent Cistercian abbot and a respected scholar of his time.
In the 15th century, Bernard Palissy (c. 1510-1590), a French potter and naturalist, gained recognition for his innovative work in ceramics and his contributions to the understanding of fossils and geology.
Another notable figure with the surname Benard was Pierre Benard (1629-1698), a French engraver and printmaker who was particularly skilled in portraiture. His works are highly regarded for their technical excellence and attention to detail.
As the surname spread across Europe, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Bernhard, Bernardi, and Bernart, reflecting the linguistic influences of different regions. Place names like Bernay in Normandy, France, and Bernau in Germany also share a similar etymology, reflecting the widespread use of the name.
Throughout history, the surname Benard has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds, including artists, scholars, nobles, and craftsmen, contributing to the rich tapestry of cultural heritage across various regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Benard
Among Census respondents with the surname Benard, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.9%. The next largest groups are Black (30.9%) and Hispanic (10.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Benard 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 Benard surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White52.9% · 1,172
- Black or African American30.9% · 684
- Hispanic or Latino10.8% · 239
- Two or more races4.2% · 93
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Benard
Benard 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
#12,812
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,407
+248 bearers (+11.5%)
Per 100,000 0.82
Rank movement Up 207 places
2020
#13,216
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,214
-193 bearers (-8.0%)
Per 100,000 0.74
Rank movement Down 404 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,019 | 2,159 | 0.80 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,812 | 2,407 | 0.82 | +248 bearers (+11.5%) | Up 207 places |
| 2020 | #13,216 | 2,214 | 0.74 | -193 bearers (-8.0%) | Down 404 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 Benard 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 | #12,812 | #13,216 | -3.2% |
| Count | 2,407 | 2,214 | -8.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.82 | 0.74 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Benard bearers went from 2,407 to 2,214 (-8.0% change). The surname moved down 404 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,812 to #13,216.
FAQ
Benard surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Benard?
Name Census estimates that about 2,539 living Americans carry the surname Benard. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 134,996 residents.
How common is Benard?
Benard ranks #13,216 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.74 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,214 people with the surname Benard. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,539), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.74 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.74 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Benard.
Has Benard become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Benard went from 2,407 recorded bearers to 2,214. That is a decrease of 193 (-8.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,812 to #13,216.
What does the Census say about the background of Benard?
Among Census respondents with the surname Benard, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.9%. The next largest groups are Black (30.9%) and Hispanic (10.8%). 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 Benard in the 2020 Census, accounting for 52.9% (1,172 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Benard appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (52.9%), Black (30.9%), Hispanic (10.8%). 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 Benard (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 Benard mean?
A French surname derived from the Germanic name Bernhard, composed of the elements "bear" and "brave" or "hardy." 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 Benard (0.74 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 surname Benard?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.