2000
#132,259
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Benckert
A Germanized spelling of a Slavic surname meaning "bench maker" or "joiner."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Benckert. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Benckert 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Benckert in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Benckert, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.4%. The next largest groups are Black (0.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Benckert
The surname BENCKERT has its origins in Germany, where it first emerged in the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the German word "benker," which referred to a bench or pew maker. The name may also have connections to the northern German city of Benkendorf, suggesting that some bearers of the name may have originally hailed from that region.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the BENCKERT surname can be found in the church records of Saxony-Anhalt, a region in central Germany. In 1587, a Johann BENCKERT is listed as a resident of the town of Köthen. This entry provides valuable insight into the historical presence of the name in that area.
In the 17th century, the BENCKERT surname began to appear in various official records and documents across Germany. For example, in 1621, a Hans BENCKERT is mentioned in the tax records of the town of Eisenach, located in the state of Thuringia. This suggests that the name had spread beyond its initial roots in central and northern Germany.
As the BENCKERT family continued to grow and disperse throughout the German states, some notable individuals emerged. Friedrich BENCKERT (1677-1738) was a prominent Lutheran theologian and philosopher who served as a professor at the University of Halle. His scholarly works on theology and ethics garnered significant recognition during his lifetime.
Another noteworthy figure was Johann Georg BENCKERT (1722-1805), a German painter and engraver who specialized in landscape and architectural subjects. His etchings and engravings of various German cities and towns remain highly regarded among art historians and collectors.
In the 19th century, the BENCKERT name found its way to other parts of Europe and beyond. Carl Friedrich BENCKERT (1817-1892), a German-born engineer and inventor, emigrated to the United States in the mid-1800s. He is credited with several important innovations in the field of steam engine design and manufacturing.
While the BENCKERT surname has its deepest roots in Germany, it has since spread to various other countries through migration and intermarriage. However, the historical records and notable individuals mentioned above provide a glimpse into the rich heritage and legacy of this surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Benckert
Among Census respondents with the surname Benckert, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.4%. The next largest groups are Black (0.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Benckert 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 Benckert surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.4% · 111
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Benckert
Benckert 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
#129,825
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 131
+13 bearers (+11.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,434 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
-17 bearers (-13.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 16,670 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #132,259 | 118 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #129,825 | 131 | 0.04 | +13 bearers (+11.0%) | Up 2,434 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | -17 bearers (-13.0%) | Down 16,670 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 Benckert 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 | #129,825 | #146,495 | -12.8% |
| Count | 131 | 114 | -13.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Benckert bearers went from 131 to 114 (-13.0% change). The surname moved down 16,670 positions in the national ranking, going from #129,825 to #146,495.
FAQ
Benckert surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Benckert?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Benckert. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Benckert?
Benckert ranks #146,495 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 114 people with the surname Benckert. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Benckert.
Has Benckert become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Benckert went from 131 recorded bearers to 114. That is a decrease of 17 (-13.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #129,825 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Benckert?
Among Census respondents with the surname Benckert, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.4%. The next largest groups are Black (0.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Benckert in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.4% (111 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Benckert appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.4%), Black (0.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Benckert (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 Benckert mean?
A Germanized spelling of a Slavic surname meaning "bench maker" or "joiner." 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 Benckert (0.04 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 Benckert?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.