2000
#128,797
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Beneze
A French surname derived from the Old French 'benesme' meaning 'blessed'.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Beneze. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Beneze 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Beneze in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Beneze, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Beneze
The surname Beneze originated in the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy during the medieval period. It is believed to derive from the Italian word "benez," meaning "blessed," which itself is rooted in the Latin word "benedictus." This suggests that the name may have initially been given to someone with a pious or fortunate reputation.
Variations of the spelling, such as Benezi and Benezzo, can be found in historical records dating back to the 13th century in the areas around Turin and Asti. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Guglielmo Beneze, a landowner in the village of Castagnole delle Lanze, whose name appears in a land registry from 1276.
The Beneze name is also linked to the small hamlet of Benevagienna, located in the province of Cuneo. It is possible that the surname originated as a toponymic name, referring to someone who hailed from this particular place. In a document from 1348, a certain Pietro di Benevagienna is mentioned, suggesting that the surname may have evolved from this place name.
A notable figure bearing the Beneze surname was Giovanni Beneze, a merchant and diplomat who lived in the 15th century. Born in Asti in 1432, he served as an ambassador for the Duchy of Savoy and was involved in negotiations with the Republic of Venice. His travels and correspondence provide valuable insights into the political and economic landscape of that era.
Another individual of historical significance was Bartolomeo Beneze, a Catholic priest and theologian who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Born in Turin in 1562, he authored several works on religious doctrine and participated in various councils and synods during the Counter-Reformation period. He died in 1628 in his hometown.
In the artistic realm, the name Beneze is associated with Giorgio Beneze, a painter active in the early 17th century. Originally from the town of Bra in Piedmont, he is known for his religious paintings and frescoes adorning churches in the region. His most notable works include the frescoes in the Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista in Bra, completed around 1620.
While the Beneze surname may not be as widespread as some others, it has left its mark throughout the centuries, particularly in the history and cultural heritage of the Piedmont region in Italy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Beneze
Among Census respondents with the surname Beneze, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Beneze 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 Beneze surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.4% · 102
- Two or more races2.8% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Beneze
Beneze 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
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-11 bearers (-9.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 19,550 places
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-3 bearers (-2.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,588 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #128,797 | 122 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | -11 bearers (-9.0%) | Down 19,550 places |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.7%) | Down 2,588 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 Beneze 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 | #148,347 | #150,935 | -1.7% |
| Count | 111 | 108 | -2.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Beneze bearers went from 111 to 108 (-2.7% change). The surname moved down 2,588 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #150,935.
FAQ
Beneze surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Beneze?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Beneze. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Beneze?
Beneze ranks #150,935 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 108 people with the surname Beneze. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), 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 Beneze.
Has Beneze become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Beneze went from 111 recorded bearers to 108. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #148,347 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Beneze?
Among Census respondents with the surname Beneze, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic (1.9%). 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 Beneze in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.4% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Beneze appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.4%), Two or More Races (2.8%), Hispanic (1.9%). 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 Beneze (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 Beneze mean?
A French surname derived from the Old French 'benesme' meaning 'blessed'. 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 Beneze (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 many people are called Beneze?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Beneze is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.