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

Benchimol, 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 Benchimol surname is from the 2000 census data.

Popularity of Benchimol in America

Benchimol is the 150436th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Benchimol surname appeared 100 times in the 2000 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Benchimol.

The history of the last name Benchimol

The surname Benchimol is of Sephardic Jewish origin, with roots tracing back to the Iberian Peninsula, specifically Spain and Portugal. The name is thought to have originated in the medieval period, around the 12th to 15th centuries, during a time when Jewish communities were well-established in these countries. The name Benchimol likely derives from a combination of Arabic and Hebrew. The prefix "Ben-" means "son of" in Hebrew, while "Chimol" could stem from a personal name or descriptive term, although its exact meaning is less clear, it may be connected to the Arabic name Shammūl, which relates to the Prophet Samuel.

Following the Alhambra Decree of 1492, which ordered the expulsion of Jews from Spain, many Sephardic Jews fled to North Africa, the Ottoman Empire, and other parts of Europe. As such, the surname Benchimol is not only found in Spain and Portugal, but also in countries like Morocco, Turkey, and France. Historical references to the Benchimol surname appear in various documents including trade records, scholarly works, and community registries reflecting the diaspora of Sephardic Jews.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the surname Benchimol appears in 17th-century Moroccan documents. A notable figure from this period is Abraham Benchimol, a rabbi and scholar who lived in Morocco during the late 1600s and early 1700s, contributing to Jewish religious and academic life. Another significant individual is Samuel Benchimol, a Jewish merchant in the Ottoman Empire in the early 18th century, highlighting the spread of the surname across the Mediterranean region.

In the 19th century, the surname appeared in various European records. For instance, Jacob Benchimol was a prominent community leader and philanthropist in France, born in 1825 and passing away in 1901, known for his charitable works and contributions to the Jewish community. During the same period, in Morocco, David Benchimol, an influential rabbi born in 1839, made substantial religious contributions until his death in 1895.

By the mid-20th century, the surname Benchimol had also reached the Americas. Noteworthy is Samuel Benchimol, a Brazilian economist and writer born in 1923, who passed away in 2002. He made significant contributions to the economic understanding of the Amazon region, publishing various scholarly articles and books, thereby broadening the reach and impact of individuals bearing the Benchimol surname.

Thus, the surname Benchimol encapsulates a rich historical tapestry. It is deeply rooted in the movements and migrations of Sephardic Jewish communities, with notable individuals contributing across various fields such as religion, commerce, and academia from the medieval period to modern times.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Benchimol

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

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 2000 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Benchimol 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.

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

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

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