2000
#6,517
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,802
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.78
Rare Last name
Benge
English habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "hill" or "hill path" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,156 Americans carry the last name Benge. That puts it at #7,167 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.50 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 66,477 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Benge 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Benge with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.2K
1 in 66,477
Census rank
#7,167
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,496 bearers of the surname Benge in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.50 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7167th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Benge, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.1%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Benge
The surname Benge is believed to have originated in England, specifically in the county of Somerset. It is thought to derive from the Old English word "benge," which referred to a steep hill or slope. This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive term used to identify a person who resided near or on a prominent hill or ridge.
The earliest recorded instances of the Benge surname can be traced back to the 13th century. Some of the earliest documented examples include Robert atte Benge, who was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Somerset in 1327, and John Benge, mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Somerset in 1346.
Throughout the centuries, the Benge name has been associated with various locations in Somerset, such as the village of Benge Sutton, which was once known as "Benge." This village may have served as the ancestral home for some families bearing the Benge surname.
One notable individual with the Benge surname was Sir William Benge (1582-1654), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Somerset during the reign of King Charles I. He played a role in the English Civil War, initially supporting the Parliamentarian cause but later switching allegiances to the Royalists.
Another prominent figure was Richard Benge (1628-1696), an English physician and author who published several medical treatises in the latter half of the 17th century, including "A Discourse on the Plague" and "The Husbandman's Guide to Health."
In the realm of literature, Harriet Benge (1815-1892) was a British writer and novelist who contributed to periodicals and published works such as "The Daughters of England" and "Memoirs of a Tory Royalist."
John Benge (1833-1897) was a British architect who designed various notable buildings in London, including St. Andrew's Church in Holborn and the former premises of the Globe Theatre.
Lastly, Thomas Benge (1907-1989) was a British artist and engraver known for his intricate wood engravings, many of which depicted landscapes and architectural subjects. His works were exhibited at prestigious institutions like the Royal Academy of Arts.
While the Benge surname has roots in England, particularly in Somerset, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and family histories. Nonetheless, the name's origins can be traced back to the Old English term for a steep hill or slope, reflecting the descriptive nature of many early English surnames.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Benge
Among Census respondents with the surname Benge, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.1%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Benge 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 Benge surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.9% · 3,864
- Two or more races6.1% · 273
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 152
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.4% · 109
- Black or African American1.4% · 64
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 34
Timeline
Historical Census data for Benge
Benge 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
#6,750
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,995
+193 bearers (+4.0%)
Per 100,000 1.69
Rank movement Down 233 places
2020
#7,167
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,496
-499 bearers (-10.0%)
Per 100,000 1.50
Rank movement Down 417 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,517 | 4,802 | 1.78 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,750 | 4,995 | 1.69 | +193 bearers (+4.0%) | Down 233 places |
| 2020 | #7,167 | 4,496 | 1.50 | -499 bearers (-10.0%) | Down 417 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 Benge 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 | #6,750 | #7,167 | -6.2% |
| Count | 4,995 | 4,496 | -10.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.69 | 1.50 | -11.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Benge bearers went from 4,995 to 4,496 (-10.0% change). The surname moved down 417 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,750 to #7,167.
FAQ
Benge surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Benge?
Name Census estimates that about 5,156 living Americans carry the surname Benge. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 66,477 residents.
How common is Benge?
Benge ranks #7,167 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.50 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,496 people with the surname Benge. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,156), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.5 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.50 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Benge.
Has Benge become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Benge went from 4,995 recorded bearers to 4,496. That is a decrease of 499 (-10.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,750 to #7,167.
What does the Census say about the background of Benge?
Among Census respondents with the surname Benge, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.1%) and Hispanic (3.4%). 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 Benge in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.9% (3,864 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Benge appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.9%), Two or More Races (6.1%), Hispanic (3.4%). 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 Benge (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 Benge mean?
English habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "hill" or "hill path" in Old English. 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 Benge (1.50 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 Benge?
Want to know how many people are called Benge? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.