2000
#138,741
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Benhardt
A habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "bear's height" or "bear's high ground".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Benhardt. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Benhardt 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
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Benhardt in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Benhardt, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Benhardt
The surname "Benhardt" has its origins in Germany, and it is believed to have emerged during the 13th century. The name is derived from the Old German words "bern" and "hart," which respectively translate to "bear" and "brave" or "hardy." Thus, the name "Benhardt" could be interpreted as "brave bear" or "hardy bear."
The earliest recorded instances of the name "Benhardt" appear in various medieval records, such as tax rolls and land deeds, primarily from the regions of Bavaria and Saxony. One notable mention is in the Augsburg Cathedral Chronicle, which dates back to the late 15th century and references a "Johannes Benhardt" among its clergy members.
In the 16th century, the name became more widespread across German-speaking regions, with variations in spelling, including "Bernhardt" and "Bernhard." A prominent figure bearing this surname was Johann Bernhardt, a German composer and organist born in 1561, known for his contributions to sacred music during the Renaissance era.
As the centuries progressed, the name "Benhardt" continued to be found in various historical documents, such as church records and military registers. During the 18th century, Friedrich Benhardt, a German naturalist and explorer, gained recognition for his expeditions and discoveries in South America, particularly in the Amazon region.
In the 19th century, the name "Benhardt" gained further prominence with the birth of Sarah Bernhardt, a French actress and playwright widely regarded as one of the greatest performers of her time. Born Rosine Bernard in 1844, she adopted the stage name "Sarah Bernhardt" and achieved international acclaim for her roles in numerous plays, including those by Victor Hugo and Alexandre Dumas.
Other notable individuals with the surname "Benhardt" include Hans Benhardt, a German philosopher and academic born in 1876, who made significant contributions to the field of existentialism, and Ingrid Benhardt, a Swedish sculptor and artist born in 1927, known for her innovative use of materials and abstract forms.
While the surname "Benhardt" has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including North America and other European countries, through immigration and cultural exchange.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Benhardt
Among Census respondents with the surname Benhardt, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Benhardt 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 Benhardt surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.3% · 109
- Two or more races2.7% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Benhardt
Benhardt 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
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-7 bearers (-6.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 17,303 places
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
+8 bearers (+7.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 8,090 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #138,741 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-6.3%) | Down 17,303 places |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.7%) | Up 8,090 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 Benhardt 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 | #156,044 | #147,954 | 5.2% |
| Count | 104 | 112 | 7.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Benhardt bearers went from 104 to 112 (+7.7% change). The surname moved up 8,090 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #147,954.
FAQ
Benhardt surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Benhardt?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Benhardt. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Benhardt?
Benhardt ranks #147,954 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 112 people with the surname Benhardt. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), 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 Benhardt.
Has Benhardt become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Benhardt went from 104 recorded bearers to 112. That is an increase of 8 (+7.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Benhardt?
Among Census respondents with the surname Benhardt, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Benhardt in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.3% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Benhardt appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.3%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Benhardt (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 Benhardt mean?
A habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "bear's height" or "bear's high ground". 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 Benhardt (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 Americans have the surname Benhardt?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.