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

Benavides, 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 Benavides surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Benavides in America

Benavides is the 1508th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Benavides surname appeared 23,761 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 8 people would have the surname Benavides.

We can also compare 2010 data for Benavides to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Benavides

The surname Benavides has its origins in Spain. It is a place name, derived from the town of Benavides, located in the province of Leon, in the Castile and Leon region of northwestern Spain. The name is believed to have emerged during the Middle Ages, likely around the 11th or 12th century.

The name Benavides is a combination of two Spanish words, "buen" meaning "good" and "vides" meaning "vines" or "vineyards." This suggests that the name may have originated from a place known for its quality vineyards or wine production. It is also possible that the name initially referred to a person associated with or living near these vineyards.

One of the earliest known references to the Benavides name can be found in the Libro de la Montería, a 14th-century hunting manuscript compiled under the orders of King Alfonso XI of Castile. This manuscript mentions a place called "Venavides," which is believed to be an early spelling variation of Benavides.

Notable individuals with the surname Benavides throughout history include:

1. Rodrigo Ponce de León y Benavides (1443-1492), a Spanish nobleman and military leader who played a significant role in the Reconquista and the conquest of Granada.

2. Toribio Alonso de Benavides (1610-1667), a Spanish Franciscan friar and author who served as a missionary in New Mexico and wrote the "Memorial" describing the region's geography and indigenous cultures.

3. Diego de Benavides y de la Cueva (1607-1666), a Spanish nobleman and Viceroy of Naples from 1648 to 1653.

4. Manuel de Benavides (1683-1748), a Spanish military officer and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of Santa Fe de Bogotá (present-day Colombia) from 1736 to 1743.

5. Ramón Benavides (1809-1867), a Mexican soldier and politician who served as the Governor of Coahuila from 1857 to 1863 during the Reform War.

While the Benavides name originated in Spain, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly to Latin American countries due to Spanish colonization and immigration. However, its roots can be traced back to the town of Benavides in northwestern Spain, where the name likely emerged as a place name reflecting the region's wine-growing heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Benavides

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

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 Benavides 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.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Benavides has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

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

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

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