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

Benevides, 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 Benevides surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Benevides in America

Benevides is the 18572nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Benevides surname appeared 1,485 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Benevides.

We can also compare 2010 data for Benevides 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 Benevides

The surname Benevides is of Portuguese origin, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated from the town of Benavides in the province of Zamora, Spain, which was once under Portuguese rule. The name is derived from the Latin words "bene" meaning "well" and "videre" meaning "to see," suggesting a connection to a place with a good view or vantage point.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Benevides can be found in the "Livro de Linhagens" (Book of Lineages), a Portuguese genealogical record from the 13th century. This document mentions individuals with the surname, indicating their noble lineage and landholdings in various regions of Portugal.

In the 14th century, the Benevides family played a significant role in the Portuguese conquest of the Algarve region from the Moors. Vasco Rodrigues Benevides, born around 1310, was a renowned military leader who participated in the capture of several cities, including Faro and Loulé.

During the Age of Discovery in the 15th and 16th centuries, several members of the Benevides family were involved in maritime exploration and colonization efforts. Pedro Benevides, born in 1460, was a navigator and explorer who accompanied Vasco da Gama on his historic voyage to India in 1497-1499.

In the 17th century, António de Benevides e Oliveira (1616-1693) was a prominent Portuguese historian and author, known for his works on the history of Portugal and its royal families. His comprehensive account, "Rainhas de Portugal" (Queens of Portugal), published in 1635, remains a valuable reference for scholars studying the Portuguese monarchy.

Another notable figure with the Benevides surname was João Benevides (1640-1712), a Jesuit missionary who traveled to Brazil and worked among the indigenous populations of the Amazon region. His writings provided valuable insights into the lives and cultures of the native communities he encountered.

In the 19th century, Gaspar Benevides (1836-1914) was a prominent Brazilian politician and lawyer. He served as a senator and played a crucial role in the drafting of the Brazilian Civil Code, which was enacted in 1916.

These are just a few examples of individuals with the surname Benevides who have left their mark throughout history, contributing to various fields such as exploration, literature, religion, and politics.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Benevides

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

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

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

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