Benion last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Benion

A variant form of the English surname Bennion derived from a place name.

Benion, 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 Benion surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Benion in America

Benion is the 55505th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Benion surname appeared 370 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Benion.

We can also compare 2010 data for Benion 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 55505 54880 1.13%
Count 370 351 5.27%
Proportion per 100k 0.13 0.13 0.00%

The history of the last name Benion

The surname BENION has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "bene," which means "prayer" or "request," and the suffix "-ion," which denotes a person or occupation. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to a person who worked as a petitioner or intercessor, possibly in a religious or legal context.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the BENION surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it is listed as "Beneyon." This medieval document recorded the landholders and their properties in various English counties, indicating that the BENION family had already established itself as landowners by that time.

During the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "Beneyon," "Benyon," and "Benian," reflecting the inconsistencies in spelling and pronunciation common in that era. In the Subsidy Rolls of 1327, a John Benyon is listed as a taxpayer in Oxfordshire, demonstrating the name's presence in that region.

The BENION surname has been associated with several notable figures throughout history. One such individual was Sir William Benion (1573-1632), a wealthy merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers in London. He was known for his philanthropic endeavors, including the founding of the Benion Charity School in his hometown of Shropshire.

Another prominent bearer of the BENION name was Richard Benion (1653-1708), an English clergyman and author who served as the rector of Broughton in Northamptonshire. He published several works on theology and religious subjects, including "A Discourse on the Divine Attributes" and "The Necessity of Revealed Religion."

In the 18th century, the BENION family had a presence in Yorkshire, where Thomas Benion (1718-1795) was a successful landowner and businessman. He was involved in the wool trade and owned several mills in the region.

The BENION surname also has a connection to the literary world through John Benion (1785-1868), a British writer and journalist. He worked as a correspondent for various publications and published several books, including "Letters from the East" and "Travels in Egypt and the Holy Land."

Another notable figure was Edith Benion (1870-1952), an English artist and painter known for her landscapes and portraiture. She studied at the Royal Academy of Arts and exhibited her works at several prestigious galleries in London.

While the BENION surname may not be as widespread as some other English surnames, it has a rich history and has been borne by individuals who have made significant contributions in various fields throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Benion

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

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 Benion was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 9.19% 34
Non-Hispanic Black Only 83.51% 309
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 5.14% 19
Hispanic Origin 1.89% 7

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 Benion has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 9.19% 15.95% -53.78%
Black 83.51% 82.05% 1.76%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% 0.00% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 5.14% 1.42% 113.41%
Hispanic 1.89% (S)% (S)%

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

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

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"Benion last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 25, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/benion-surname-popularity/.

"Benion last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/benion-surname-popularity/. Accessed 25 November, 2024

Benion last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/benion-surname-popularity/.

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