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

Benfield, 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 Benfield surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Benfield in America

Benfield is the 6593rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Benfield surname appeared 5,138 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Benfield.

We can also compare 2010 data for Benfield 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 Benfield

The surname Benfield originated in England, emerging in the 13th century. It is a locational name, deriving from the Old English words "bene" meaning bean and "feld" meaning field or open area. This suggests the name initially referred to an area where beans were cultivated or harvested.

Early recordings of the name include Robert de Benefeld in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273. In Norfolk, Robert Benefeld is mentioned in the Feet of Fines records for 1311. Other spellings from antiquity include Benyfeld, Benefeild, and Benfeild.

The Domesday Book, the comprehensive survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname Benfield. However, it does mention several place names that may have contributed to the formation of the surname over time, such as Benefeld in Berkshire and Beneworth in Gloucestershire.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname was Sir Thomas Benfield (c. 1370-1445), a prominent English landowner and Member of Parliament for Berkshire during the reign of Henry VI. Another notable figure was Richard Benfield (1512-1564), a wealthy merchant and alderman in the City of London during the Tudor period.

In the 17th century, Sebastian Benfield (1619-1693) was an English clergyman and chaplain to Charles II, known for his sermons and theological writings. A century later, Paul Benfield (1741-1810) was an influential English merchant and politician who amassed a substantial fortune through his involvement in the East India Company.

John Benfield (1768-1843), born in Berkshire, was a successful banker and financier in London during the late Georgian era. His son, also named John Benfield (1798-1873), followed in his footsteps and became a prominent figure in the banking industry.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Benfield

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

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

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

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