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

Bencosme, 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 Bencosme surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bencosme in America

Bencosme is the 21330th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bencosme surname appeared 1,228 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Bencosme.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bencosme 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 Bencosme

The surname BENCOSME is of Spanish origin, with its roots tracing back to the medieval period in Spain. The name is believed to have originated from the Canary Islands, specifically the island of Gran Canaria, where it was likely derived from a combination of Spanish and Guanche words, the latter being the language of the indigenous inhabitants of the Canary Islands before the Spanish conquest.

One potential origin of BENCOSME is from the Spanish word "ben," meaning "son of," and the Guanche word "cosme," which may have been a personal name or a reference to a particular location or landmark. This suggests that the surname BENCOSME could have initially been bestowed upon the son of an individual named Cosme or someone associated with a place bearing that name.

Historical records from the 16th and 17th centuries mention individuals with the surname BENCOSME living in the Canary Islands and other Spanish territories. One notable example is Juan Bencosme, who was a soldier and explorer born in Gran Canaria in the late 15th century. He participated in the Spanish conquest of the Canary Islands and later joined expeditions to the Americas, where he is said to have explored parts of the Caribbean and Central America.

Another early record of the name BENCOSME can be found in the chronicles of Alonso de Espinosa, a 16th-century historian who documented the history of the Canary Islands. In his writings, Espinosa mentions a family with the surname BENCOSME residing in Las Palmas, the capital of Gran Canaria, during the late 1500s.

In the 17th century, Pedro Bencosme, a merchant and landowner from Gran Canaria, is documented as having played a significant role in the economic development of the island through his trading activities and agricultural ventures.

As the Spanish Empire expanded, the BENCOSME surname spread to other parts of the Spanish territories, including the Americas. In the 18th century, María Bencosme, a notable figure in the history of Puerto Rico, was born in San Juan in 1730. She is celebrated for her bravery and resilience during the British invasion of Puerto Rico in 1797, where she reportedly assisted in the defense of the city.

Throughout the 19th century, several individuals with the BENCOSME surname made notable contributions in various fields. José Bencosme, born in Gran Canaria in 1820, was a renowned writer and poet who published numerous works celebrating the culture and traditions of the Canary Islands.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bencosme

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

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

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

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