2000
#127,948
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Beneway
A locational surname from the village of Beneway in England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Beneway. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Beneway 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Beneway in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Beneway, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.3%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Beneway
The surname Beneway has its origins in the English county of Devon. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "bene" meaning "bean" and "weg" meaning "way," suggesting a connection to a path or lane where beans were grown or traded.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Devon from the late 12th century, where a person named Richard Beneway is mentioned as a landowner in the village of Buckland Monachorum.
During the 13th century, the name appeared in various records, such as the Assize Rolls of Somerset and the Feet of Fines for Devon, indicating the spread of the surname across the southwest of England.
In the 14th century, a notable figure with the surname Beneway was John Beneway (c. 1300 - 1370), a prominent merchant and landowner in the town of Exeter. He is recorded as having owned several properties and businesses within the city walls.
The Beneway family continued to be well-established in Devon throughout the following centuries. In the 16th century, a branch of the family settled in the village of Chagford, where they owned several farms and mills. One member, William Beneway (c. 1520 - 1590), is believed to have been a skilled weaver and cloth merchant.
During the 17th century, the surname Beneway also appeared in various parish records across Devon, including those of Tavistock, Okehampton, and Crediton. One notable individual from this period was Thomas Beneway (1625 - 1698), a respected clergyman who served as the rector of the parish church in Buckland Monachorum for over forty years.
In the 18th century, the Beneway family continued to prosper in Devon, with several members holding positions of influence in local government and trade. One such individual was John Beneway (1725 - 1798), who served as the Mayor of Exeter in 1780 and was a successful merchant and landowner.
As the centuries passed, the surname Beneway began to spread beyond Devon, with families bearing the name appearing in various parts of England, as well as in other parts of the world, such as North America and Australia, due to migration and exploration.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Beneway
Among Census respondents with the surname Beneway, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.3%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Beneway 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 Beneway surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.9% · 105
- Two or more races5.3% · 6
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Beneway
Beneway 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
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-3 bearers (-2.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,280 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-7 bearers (-5.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,993 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,948 | 123 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.4%) | Down 11,280 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-5.8%) | Down 7,993 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 Beneway 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 | #139,228 | #147,221 | -5.7% |
| Count | 120 | 113 | -5.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Beneway bearers went from 120 to 113 (-5.8% change). The surname moved down 7,993 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #147,221.
FAQ
Beneway surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Beneway?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Beneway. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Beneway?
Beneway ranks #147,221 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 113 people with the surname Beneway. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Beneway.
Has Beneway become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Beneway went from 120 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 7 (-5.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #139,228 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Beneway?
Among Census respondents with the surname Beneway, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.3%) and Black (0.9%). 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 Beneway in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.9% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Beneway appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.9%), Two or More Races (5.3%), Black (0.9%). 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 Beneway (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 Beneway mean?
A locational surname from the village of Beneway in England. 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 Beneway (0.04 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 common is the surname Beneway?
You can see how many people have the surname Beneway on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.