2000
#12,742
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,223
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.82
Rare Last name
Benda
A Czech surname derived from the word "bend," meaning a type of cart or wagon.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,227 Americans carry the last name Benda. That puts it at #14,685 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.65 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 153,909 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Benda 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
2.2K
1 in 153,909
Census rank
#14,685
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,942 bearers of the surname Benda in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.65 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14685th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Benda, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Benda
The surname Benda has its origins in Central Europe, specifically in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. It is believed to have emerged as a locative name, derived from the word "benda," which referred to a type of cloth or fabric used for making clothing in the Middle Ages.
The name Benda can be traced back to the 14th century, and it is likely that some of the earliest bearers of this name were textile workers or merchants involved in the production or trade of the fabric known as "benda." The name may have also been adopted by individuals who lived in or near areas associated with the production of this cloth.
In the 15th and 16th centuries, records show the presence of individuals with the surname Benda in various regions of Bohemia and Moravia, which were part of the Kingdom of Bohemia at the time. One of the earliest documented references to the name can be found in the census records of the town of Kutná Hora, where a certain Jan Benda is mentioned in 1492.
Notable individuals with the surname Benda include Frantisek Benda (1709-1786), a Czech composer and violinist who served as the Kapellmeister at the court of Frederick the Great in Prussia. Another prominent figure was Vaclav Benda (1718-1774), a Czech painter and engraver known for his religious works and portraits.
In the 19th century, the name Benda gained recognition through the works of Bedřich Benda (1808-1888), a Czech writer and journalist who played a significant role in the Czech National Revival movement. His contemporaries included Jan Benda (1836-1888), a Czech architect and designer who contributed to the construction of several notable buildings in Prague.
The surname Benda also has a presence in other parts of Europe, such as Germany and Poland, likely due to migration and cultural exchange. One notable German bearer of the name was Hans Benda (1888-1972), a political scientist and historian who specialized in the study of totalitarianism and authoritarianism.
While the surname Benda has its roots in Central Europe, it has since spread to various parts of the world, carried by immigrants and their descendants. However, its origins can be traced back to the textile industry and the specific fabric known as "benda" in the medieval period.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Benda
Among Census respondents with the surname Benda, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Benda 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 Benda surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.2% · 1,772
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 74
- Two or more races2.4% · 46
- Black or African American1.3% · 26
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 21
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Benda
Benda 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
#12,164
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,562
+339 bearers (+15.2%)
Per 100,000 0.87
Rank movement Up 578 places
2020
#14,685
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,942
-620 bearers (-24.2%)
Per 100,000 0.65
Rank movement Down 2,521 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,742 | 2,223 | 0.82 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,164 | 2,562 | 0.87 | +339 bearers (+15.2%) | Up 578 places |
| 2020 | #14,685 | 1,942 | 0.65 | -620 bearers (-24.2%) | Down 2,521 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 Benda 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 | #12,164 | #14,685 | -20.7% |
| Count | 2,562 | 1,942 | -24.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.87 | 0.65 | -25.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Benda bearers went from 2,562 to 1,942 (-24.2% change). The surname moved down 2,521 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,164 to #14,685.
FAQ
Benda surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Benda?
Name Census estimates that about 2,227 living Americans carry the surname Benda. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 153,909 residents.
How common is Benda?
Benda ranks #14,685 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.65 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 1,942 people with the surname Benda. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,227), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.65 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.65 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 Benda.
Has Benda become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Benda went from 2,562 recorded bearers to 1,942. That is a decrease of 620 (-24.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,164 to #14,685.
What does the Census say about the background of Benda?
Among Census respondents with the surname Benda, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (2.4%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Benda in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.2% (1,772 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Benda appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.2%), Hispanic (3.8%), Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Benda (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 Benda mean?
A Czech surname derived from the word "bend," meaning a type of cart or wagon. 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 Benda (0.65 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 Benda?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.