2000
#37,688
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 555
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.21
Very Rare Last name
Bendix
A surname of Germanic origin, likely derived from the name Benedict.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 631 Americans carry the last name Bendix. That puts it at #42,463 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.18 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 543,192 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bendix 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
631
1 in 543,192
Census rank
#42,463
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
550
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 550 bearers of the surname Bendix in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.18 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 42463rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bendix, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bendix
The surname Bendix originated in Germany, with the earliest records dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Germanic personal name Bendikt, which is a variant of the Latin name Benedictus, meaning "blessed". The name is believed to have been introduced to Germany by Benedictine monks, who were followers of Saint Benedict.
The name Bendix was initially found in various regions of Germany, including Bavaria, Saxony, and Westphalia. It was often spelled in different ways, such as Bendix, Bendicks, Bendicks, and Bendixt. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Annals of Quedlinburg Abbey, a medieval chronicle written in the 11th century.
In the 13th century, a man named Johannes Bendix was mentioned in the records of the city of Lübeck, an important trading center in northern Germany. This suggests that the name had spread to different parts of the country by that time.
During the Middle Ages, the name Bendix was also found in other parts of Europe, including the Netherlands and Denmark. In the Netherlands, the name was sometimes spelled as Bendiks or Bendieks.
One notable person with the surname Bendix was Vincent Bendix (1882-1945), an American inventor and industrialist who founded the Bendix Corporation, a major manufacturer of automotive parts and systems. He was born in Moline, Illinois, to German immigrant parents.
Another individual with this surname was Hans Bendix (1513-1598), a Danish astronomer and mathematician who made important contributions to the field of celestial mechanics. He is best known for his work on the theory of comets and the calculation of their orbits.
In the literary world, the name Bendix is associated with the German author Reinhard Bendix (1916-1991), who was a sociologist and professor at the University of California, Berkeley. He wrote extensively on the topics of social stratification and modernization.
The name Bendix has also been found in historical records from other European countries, such as France and England, although it was less common in those regions. One example is John Bendix, an English clergyman who lived in the 17th century and served as the Rector of St. Dunstan's Church in Cranbrook, Kent.
Overall, the surname Bendix has a rich history that can be traced back to its Germanic roots and the influence of Benedictine monks in the Middle Ages. It has been carried by notable individuals in various fields, including science, industry, and literature, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and achievements of those who bear this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bendix
Among Census respondents with the surname Bendix, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Bendix 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 Bendix surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.9% · 500
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 22
- Two or more races2.2% · 12
- Black or African American1.3% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bendix
Bendix 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
#44,356
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 485
-70 bearers (-12.6%)
Per 100,000 0.16
Rank movement Down 6,668 places
2020
#42,463
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 550
+65 bearers (+13.4%)
Per 100,000 0.18
Rank movement Up 1,893 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #37,688 | 555 | 0.21 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #44,356 | 485 | 0.16 | -70 bearers (-12.6%) | Down 6,668 places |
| 2020 | #42,463 | 550 | 0.18 | +65 bearers (+13.4%) | Up 1,893 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 Bendix 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 | #44,356 | #42,463 | 4.3% |
| Count | 485 | 550 | 13.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.16 | 0.18 | 15.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bendix bearers went from 485 to 550 (+13.4% change). The surname moved up 1,893 positions in the national ranking, going from #44,356 to #42,463.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Bendix
FAQ
Bendix surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bendix?
Name Census estimates that about 631 living Americans carry the surname Bendix. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 543,192 residents.
How common is Bendix?
Bendix ranks #42,463 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.18 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 550 people with the surname Bendix. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (631), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.18 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.18 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 Bendix.
Has Bendix become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bendix went from 485 recorded bearers to 550. That is an increase of 65 (+13.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #44,356 to #42,463.
What does the Census say about the background of Bendix?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bendix, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Bendix in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.9% (500 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bendix appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.9%), Hispanic (4.0%), Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Bendix (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 Bendix mean?
A surname of Germanic origin, likely derived from the name Benedict. 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 Bendix (0.18 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 Bendix?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.