2000
#17,813
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,449
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.54
Rare Last name
Benavente
A surname denoting someone living near or from the town of Benavente.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,357 Americans carry the last name Benavente. That puts it at #14,034 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.69 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 145,420 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Benavente 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
2.4K
1 in 145,420
Census rank
#14,034
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,055 bearers of the surname Benavente in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.69 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14034th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Benavente, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 61.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (23.4%) and White (9.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Benavente
The surname Benavente originates from Spain and dates back to the medieval period. It is derived from the name of the town of Benavente, located in the province of Zamora in the region of Castile and León. The town's name is believed to come from the Latin words "bene" meaning "well" and "venire" meaning "to come," suggesting a place with a good arrival or location.
One of the earliest recorded references to the Benavente surname can be found in a document from the 13th century, where a nobleman named Pedro Benavente was mentioned as a landowner in the region of Zamora. This suggests that the name was already well-established among the local nobility at that time.
In the 14th century, a prominent figure named Rodrigo Benavente was a distinguished scholar and theologian who served as a canon of the Cathedral of Toledo. His writings and teachings had a significant influence on the intellectual and religious discourse of the era.
During the 15th century, the Benavente family gained further prominence when Juan de Benavente, a skilled military commander, played a crucial role in the Reconquista, the centuries-long campaign to reclaim the Iberian Peninsula from Moorish rule. His bravery and leadership earned him recognition and land grants from the Spanish monarchs.
In the 16th century, a notable figure named Alonso de Benavente emerged as a renowned playwright and poet. His works, which often satirized the social and political issues of his time, were widely celebrated and contributed to the golden age of Spanish literature.
Another famous bearer of the Benavente surname was Jacinto Benavente y Martínez, a celebrated Spanish dramatist and Nobel Prize winner in Literature in 1922. He was born in 1866 and is considered one of the most influential figures in the development of modern Spanish theater.
The Benavente surname has also been associated with various place names and older spellings throughout its history. For example, the town of Benavente was formerly known as Beneventum or Benaventum, reflecting its Latin roots. Additionally, variations such as Benevent, Benavent, and Benaventus have been documented in historical records.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Benavente
Among Census respondents with the surname Benavente, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 61.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (23.4%) and White (9.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Benavente 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 Benavente surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino61.1% · 1,256
- Asian and Pacific Islander23.4% · 480
- White9.2% · 189
- Two or more races5.7% · 118
- Black or African American0.3% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Benavente
Benavente 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
#15,409
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,901
+452 bearers (+31.2%)
Per 100,000 0.64
Rank movement Up 2,404 places
2020
#14,034
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,055
+154 bearers (+8.1%)
Per 100,000 0.69
Rank movement Up 1,375 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #17,813 | 1,449 | 0.54 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,409 | 1,901 | 0.64 | +452 bearers (+31.2%) | Up 2,404 places |
| 2020 | #14,034 | 2,055 | 0.69 | +154 bearers (+8.1%) | Up 1,375 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 Benavente 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 | #15,409 | #14,034 | 8.9% |
| Count | 1,901 | 2,055 | 8.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.64 | 0.69 | 7.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Benavente bearers went from 1,901 to 2,055 (+8.1% change). The surname moved up 1,375 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,409 to #14,034.
FAQ
Benavente surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Benavente?
Name Census estimates that about 2,357 living Americans carry the surname Benavente. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 145,420 residents.
How common is Benavente?
Benavente ranks #14,034 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.69 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 2,055 people with the surname Benavente. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,357), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.69 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.69 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 Benavente.
Has Benavente become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Benavente went from 1,901 recorded bearers to 2,055. That is an increase of 154 (+8.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,409 to #14,034.
What does the Census say about the background of Benavente?
Among Census respondents with the surname Benavente, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 61.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (23.4%) and White (9.2%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Benavente in the 2020 Census, accounting for 61.1% (1,256 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Benavente appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (61.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (23.4%), White (9.2%). 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 Benavente (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 Benavente mean?
A surname denoting someone living near or from the town of Benavente. 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 Benavente (0.69 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 Americans have the surname Benavente?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.