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

Benbow, 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 Benbow surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Benbow in America

Benbow is the 12703rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Benbow surname appeared 2,430 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Benbow.

We can also compare 2010 data for Benbow 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 Benbow

The surname Benbow is believed to have originated in England, specifically in the counties of Dorset and Devon, during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "bene" meaning "bean" and "beorh" meaning "hill" or "mound," suggesting that the name may have referred to someone who lived near a hill where beans were grown.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Benbow can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name is mentioned in reference to a landowner named Benbow in the village of Benbow, located in Dorset.

In the 13th century, a John Benbow was recorded as owning land in the village of Benbow, which was also known as "Beneburgh" at the time. This suggests that the surname may have originated from a place name rather than a descriptive nickname.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, several notable individuals bore the surname Benbow. One of the most famous was John Benbow (1653-1702), an English naval officer who served as Vice Admiral of the Blue during the War of the Spanish Succession. He was instrumental in several victories against the French and Spanish fleets.

Another prominent figure was William Benbow (1618-1680), an English author and clergyman who published several religious works, including "A Prospect of Re-united Principles" and "A Treatise on the Last Judgment."

In the 18th century, James Benbow (1737-1817) was a renowned English architect known for his work on several churches and country houses in the Georgian style. His most notable projects include St. Mary's Church in Beverley and Benbow Hall, a grand manor house in Lincolnshire.

The 19th century saw the rise of Richard Benbow (1811-1884), a successful English businessman and industrialist who established the Benbow Ironworks in Birmingham. His company played a significant role in the industrial revolution, producing various iron and steel products.

In the early 20th century, William Benbow (1884-1959) was a prominent English artist known for his landscape paintings and etchings. He was a member of the Royal Society of British Artists and exhibited his works regularly at the Royal Academy.

The surname Benbow continues to be found throughout England and other parts of the world, with various spellings and variations such as Benbowe, Benbo, and Benbough.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Benbow

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

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

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

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