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

Benelli, 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 Benelli surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Benelli in America

Benelli is the 92358th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Benelli surname appeared 199 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 Benelli.

We can also compare 2010 data for Benelli 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 Benelli

The surname Benelli is of Italian origin, specifically from the region of Tuscany. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "benello," which means "beautiful" or "handsome." The name first appeared in historical records as early as the 12th century.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Benelli can be found in the Florentine Priorista, a series of documents that recorded the names of government officials in Florence between the years 1282 and 1532. The name Benelli appears multiple times in these records, indicating that it was a well-established surname in the region during that time period.

In the 14th century, a notable figure named Matteo Benelli was a prominent merchant and diplomat in the city of Siena. He played a crucial role in negotiating trade agreements with neighboring cities and is mentioned in several historical texts from that era.

The Benelli family also had a presence in the arts. In the 16th century, a painter named Giovanni Benelli was known for his religious works and frescoes in various churches throughout Tuscany. His most famous work, "The Adoration of the Magi," can still be seen in the Church of San Domenico in Siena.

Another notable individual with the surname Benelli was Filippo Benelli, a 17th-century architect who designed several notable buildings in Florence, including the Palazzo Benelli, which still stands today as a prime example of Baroque architecture.

In more recent history, the Benelli name gained recognition through the Benelli firearms manufacturing company, founded in 1967 by Umberto Benelli. The company is based in Urbino and is renowned for producing high-quality shotguns and rifles, which are used by hunters, sport shooters, and law enforcement agencies worldwide.

Throughout history, the surname Benelli has been associated with individuals from various professions, including merchants, artists, architects, and entrepreneurs. While the name may have originated from a specific region in Italy, it has since spread and gained recognition worldwide.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Benelli

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

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

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

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