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

Beneke, 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 Beneke surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Beneke in America

Beneke is the 28498th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Beneke surname appeared 837 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 Beneke.

We can also compare 2010 data for Beneke 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 Beneke

The surname BENEKE originated in Germany and its earliest recorded use dates back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old German word "bene" meaning "meadow" or "pasture" and is therefore an occupational surname referring to someone who worked as a meadow keeper or lived near a meadow.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name BENEKE can be found in a document from the town of Lübeck, Germany, dating back to 1248. The document refers to a man named Henneke Beneke, indicating that the name was already in use by that time.

In the 14th century, the name BENEKE appeared in several records from the region of Lower Saxony, particularly in the city of Hanover. These records include references to individuals such as Johannes Beneke (born around 1320) and Hinrich Beneke (born around 1375).

The BENEKE surname has also been associated with several notable figures throughout history. One of the earliest recorded was Barthold Beneke, a German philosopher and psychologist who lived from 1798 to 1868. Another notable figure was Otto Beneke, a German sculptor who lived from 1812 to 1897.

In the 19th century, the BENEKE surname gained further prominence with individuals like Friedrich Eduard Beneke, a German philosopher and educator who lived from 1798 to 1854. Additionally, Wilhelm Beneke, a German author and literary critic who lived from 1873 to 1947, also bore this surname.

The name BENEKE has also been associated with various place names in Germany, such as the village of Beneken in Lower Saxony, which was first mentioned in historical records in the 13th century.

Overall, the surname BENEKE has a rich history rooted in Germany, with its origins dating back to the 12th century and its meaning tied to the occupation of meadow keeping or living near a meadow. Throughout the centuries, the name has been carried by numerous notable individuals across various fields, solidifying its place in German history and culture.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Beneke

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

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

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

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