2000
#11,917
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,406
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.89
Rare Last name
Benbow
Derived from a place name meaning "bean hill" in Old English, likely referring to a hill where beans were grown.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,478 Americans carry the last name Benbow. That puts it at #13,468 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.72 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 138,319 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Benbow 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Benbow with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.5K
1 in 138,319
Census rank
#13,468
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,161 bearers of the surname Benbow in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.72 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13468th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Benbow, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.4%. The next largest groups are Black (38.9%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Benbow
Among Census respondents with the surname Benbow, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.4%. The next largest groups are Black (38.9%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Benbow 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 Benbow surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White52.4% · 1,133
- Black or African American38.9% · 840
- Two or more races4.0% · 87
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 84
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Benbow
Benbow 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
#12,703
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,430
+24 bearers (+1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.82
Rank movement Down 786 places
2020
#13,468
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,161
-269 bearers (-11.1%)
Per 100,000 0.72
Rank movement Down 765 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,917 | 2,406 | 0.89 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,703 | 2,430 | 0.82 | +24 bearers (+1.0%) | Down 786 places |
| 2020 | #13,468 | 2,161 | 0.72 | -269 bearers (-11.1%) | Down 765 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 Benbow 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 | #12,703 | #13,468 | -6.0% |
| Count | 2,430 | 2,161 | -11.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.82 | 0.72 | -11.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Benbow bearers went from 2,430 to 2,161 (-11.1% change). The surname moved down 765 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,703 to #13,468.
FAQ
Benbow surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Benbow?
Name Census estimates that about 2,478 living Americans carry the surname Benbow. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 138,319 residents.
How common is Benbow?
Benbow ranks #13,468 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.72 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 2,161 people with the surname Benbow. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,478), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.72 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.72 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 Benbow.
Has Benbow become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Benbow went from 2,430 recorded bearers to 2,161. That is a decrease of 269 (-11.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,703 to #13,468.
What does the Census say about the background of Benbow?
Among Census respondents with the surname Benbow, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.4%. The next largest groups are Black (38.9%) and Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Benbow in the 2020 Census, accounting for 52.4% (1,133 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Benbow appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (52.4%), Black (38.9%), Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Benbow (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 Benbow mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "bean hill" in Old English, likely referring to a hill where beans were grown. 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 Benbow (0.72 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 are called Benbow?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Benbow on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.