2000
#12,815
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,203
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.82
Rare Last name
Benes
A Czech occupational surname derived from the word "beneš," meaning a person who made and sold canvas or linen.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,319 Americans carry the last name Benes. That puts it at #14,253 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.68 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 147,803 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Benes 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
2.3K
1 in 147,803
Census rank
#14,253
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,022 bearers of the surname Benes in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.68 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14253rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Benes, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Benes
The surname BENES is of Czech origin and dates back to the 13th century. It is derived from the personal name Benedikt, which comes from the Latin word "benedictus" meaning "blessed." The name was initially formed as a patronymic, indicating "son of Benedikt."
In the Czech lands, the name BENES was first recorded in the village of Beneš near Pardubice in the 13th century. It is believed that the name originated from this location, where the early bearers of the name resided.
Historical records show that the name BENES appeared in various forms, such as Beneš, Benesh, Benesche, and Beneschius, in medieval Czech manuscripts and documents. One notable mention is in the Liber Viridis, a 14th-century manuscript that recorded land ownership and legal disputes in Bohemia.
The earliest known bearer of the BENES surname was Jan Beneš, a wealthy landowner and merchant who lived in Prague in the late 14th century. Another prominent figure was Václav Beneš, a Czech diplomat and politician who served as the first ambassador of Czechoslovakia to the United States in the 1920s (1878-1938).
During the Hussite Wars in the 15th century, the name BENES was associated with the Hussite movement, which sought religious and social reform in Bohemia. Jan Beneš of Nová Řiše, a Hussite leader and theologian, played a significant role in the conflict (c. 1380-1457).
In the 16th century, the BENES name was linked to the Protestant Reformation in the Czech lands. Jan Beneš, a Protestant reformer and theologian, was a prominent figure in the Unitas Fratrum (Unity of Brethren) church (c. 1510-1583).
Another notable bearer of the BENES surname was Edvard Beneš, a Czech statesman and the second President of Czechoslovakia (1884-1948). He played a crucial role in the establishment of the independent Czechoslovak state in 1918 and served as president from 1935 to 1938 and again from 1945 to 1948.
While the BENES name has its roots in the Czech Republic, it has also spread to other parts of the world through migration and immigration. However, its historical significance remains deeply rooted in the Czech lands and the significant figures who bore this surname throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Benes
Among Census respondents with the surname Benes, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Benes 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 Benes surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.9% · 1,878
- Hispanic or Latino4.5% · 91
- Two or more races1.7% · 34
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 13
- Black or African American0.3% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Benes
Benes 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
#13,109
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,338
+135 bearers (+6.1%)
Per 100,000 0.79
Rank movement Down 294 places
2020
#14,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,022
-316 bearers (-13.5%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Down 1,144 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,815 | 2,203 | 0.82 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,109 | 2,338 | 0.79 | +135 bearers (+6.1%) | Down 294 places |
| 2020 | #14,253 | 2,022 | 0.68 | -316 bearers (-13.5%) | Down 1,144 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 Benes 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 | #13,109 | #14,253 | -8.7% |
| Count | 2,338 | 2,022 | -13.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.79 | 0.68 | -14.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Benes bearers went from 2,338 to 2,022 (-13.5% change). The surname moved down 1,144 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,109 to #14,253.
FAQ
Benes surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Benes?
Name Census estimates that about 2,319 living Americans carry the surname Benes. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 147,803 residents.
How common is Benes?
Benes ranks #14,253 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.68 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,022 people with the surname Benes. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,319), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.68 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.68 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Benes.
Has Benes become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Benes went from 2,338 recorded bearers to 2,022. That is a decrease of 316 (-13.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,109 to #14,253.
What does the Census say about the background of Benes?
Among Census respondents with the surname Benes, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Benes in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.9% (1,878 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Benes appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.9%), Hispanic (4.5%), Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Benes (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 Benes mean?
A Czech occupational surname derived from the word "beneš," meaning a person who made and sold canvas or linen. 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 Benes (0.68 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 people have the last name Benes?
Find out how common the surname Benes is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.