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

Benedict, 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 Benedict surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Benedict in America

Benedict is the 2130th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Benedict surname appeared 17,036 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 6 people would have the surname Benedict.

We can also compare 2010 data for Benedict 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 Benedict

The surname Benedict is derived from the Latin name Benedictus, meaning "blessed". It originated in the Late Roman period and was initially a personal name given to males.

The name first appeared in Europe during the early medieval period, particularly in areas like Italy, France, and England where Latin-based names were common. It is believed that the name became a surname during the late 11th or early 12th century as hereditary surnames started to develop.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Benedict can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which lists several individuals with the name in various parts of England. Some of these entries include Benedictus de Buria in Suffolk and Benedictus de Asinton in Gloucestershire.

In the 12th century, the surname Benedict was also documented in France, where it was sometimes spelled as Beneit or Benoit. One notable bearer of the name during this period was the French poet and trouvère Benoît de Sainte-Maure, who lived around 1165-1173.

As the surname spread across Europe, it evolved into various regional spellings and forms, such as Benedikt in Germany, Benedetti in Italy, and Benedicto in Spain. One of the earliest recorded examples of the Italian form Benedetti is from a document dated 1279, which mentions a certain Jacobo Benedetti from Florence.

Over the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the surname Benedict, including:

1. St. Benedict of Nursia (c. 480-547), the founder of the Benedictine monastic order and a patron saint of Europe.
2. Arnold Benedict (1615-1694), a German monk and theologian known for his work on church history.
3. Ruth Benedict (1887-1948), an American anthropologist and folklorist, known for her influential work on cultural relativism.
4. Dirk Benedict (born 1945), an American actor best known for his roles in the television series "Battlestar Galactica" and "The A-Team".
5. Michael Benedict (born 1948), a British actor and playwright, known for his work in theater and television.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Benedict

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

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

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

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