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

Bendayan, 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 Bendayan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bendayan in America

Bendayan is the 142108th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bendayan surname appeared 117 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 Bendayan.

The history of the last name Bendayan

The surname Bendayan originates from the Sephardic Jewish communities of Spain and Portugal. It is believed to have derived from the Hebrew word "ben" meaning "son" and the Arabic name "Dayan," which refers to a religious judge or authority figure. This suggests that the name likely has roots in the Iberian Peninsula during the period of Muslim rule, when Arabic and Hebrew influences intertwined.

Historically, the name Bendayan can be traced back to the 15th century, when many Sephardic Jews were expelled from Spain and Portugal during the Inquisition. Records from this time show families with this surname settling in various parts of the Mediterranean region, including Morocco, Italy, and the Ottoman Empire.

One of the earliest known mentions of the Bendayan name appears in a 16th-century document from the city of Fez, Morocco, where a prominent Jewish scholar and physician named Isaac Bendayan is recorded. In the 17th century, the name is found in the records of the Italian Jewish community in Livorno, where a family of Bendayans were involved in international trade.

During the 18th century, the Bendayan surname gained prominence in the Ottoman Empire, particularly in the city of Istanbul. One notable figure from this period was Abraham Bendayan, a wealthy merchant and philanthropist who funded the construction of several synagogues and educational institutions in the city.

In the 19th century, the Bendayan name appeared in various parts of the Sephardic diaspora, including the Netherlands, where a family of Bendayans played a significant role in the Dutch colonial trade with the East Indies. Another prominent figure from this time was Jacob Bendayan, a scholar and rabbi who served as the Chief Rabbi of Alexandria, Egypt, in the mid-19th century.

Throughout history, the Bendayan surname has been associated with a diverse range of individuals and professions, from religious scholars and merchants to artists and intellectuals. Some notable examples include:

1. Isaac Bendayan (16th century), a physician and scholar in Fez, Morocco.
2. Abraham Bendayan (18th century), a wealthy merchant and philanthropist in Istanbul, Ottoman Empire.
3. Jacob Bendayan (1810-1888), Chief Rabbi of Alexandria, Egypt.
4. David Bendayan (1883-1953), a Moroccan-born painter and sculptor who worked in Paris.
5. Naim Bendayan (1900-1971), a prominent lawyer and Zionist leader from Alexandria, Egypt.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bendayan

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

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

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

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