2000
#26,419
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 869
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.32
Rare Last name
Bencosme
A Spanish surname possibly derived from the Arabic phrase "Ben Cosme" meaning son of Cosme.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,629 Americans carry the last name Bencosme. That puts it at #19,117 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.48 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 210,408 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bencosme 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
1.6K
1 in 210,408
Census rank
#19,117
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,421 bearers of the surname Bencosme in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.48 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 19117th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bencosme, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 96.3%. The next largest groups are White (2.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bencosme
Among Census respondents with the surname Bencosme, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 96.3%. The next largest groups are White (2.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Bencosme 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 Bencosme surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino96.3% · 1,369
- White2.7% · 39
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 5
- Black or African American0.3% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 3
- Two or more races0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bencosme
Bencosme 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
#21,330
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,228
+359 bearers (+41.3%)
Per 100,000 0.42
Rank movement Up 5,089 places
2020
#19,117
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,421
+193 bearers (+15.7%)
Per 100,000 0.48
Rank movement Up 2,213 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #26,419 | 869 | 0.32 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #21,330 | 1,228 | 0.42 | +359 bearers (+41.3%) | Up 5,089 places |
| 2020 | #19,117 | 1,421 | 0.48 | +193 bearers (+15.7%) | Up 2,213 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 Bencosme 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 | #21,330 | #19,117 | 10.4% |
| Count | 1,228 | 1,421 | 15.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.42 | 0.48 | 13.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bencosme bearers went from 1,228 to 1,421 (+15.7% change). The surname moved up 2,213 positions in the national ranking, going from #21,330 to #19,117.
FAQ
Bencosme surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bencosme?
Name Census estimates that about 1,629 living Americans carry the surname Bencosme. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 210,408 residents.
How common is Bencosme?
Bencosme ranks #19,117 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.48 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 1,421 people with the surname Bencosme. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,629), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.48 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.48 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 Bencosme.
Has Bencosme become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bencosme went from 1,228 recorded bearers to 1,421. That is an increase of 193 (+15.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #21,330 to #19,117.
What does the Census say about the background of Bencosme?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bencosme, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 96.3%. The next largest groups are White (2.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.4%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bencosme in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.3% (1,369 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bencosme appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (96.3%), White (2.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.4%). 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 Bencosme (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 Bencosme mean?
A Spanish surname possibly derived from the Arabic phrase "Ben Cosme" meaning son of Cosme. 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 Bencosme (0.48 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 Bencosme?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.