2000
#117,538
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 137
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Benit
A Spanish surname possibly derived from the Latin name "Benedictus", meaning "blessed".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Benit. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Benit 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Benit in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Benit, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.4%. The next largest groups are Black (13.7%) and Hispanic (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Benit
The surname BENIT has its origins in France, with the earliest known records dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old French word "benit," meaning "blessed" or "consecrated." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with individuals who held religious positions or were affiliated with the church.
In the 13th century, the name BENIT appeared in various manuscripts and records from the regions of Normandy and Brittany. One notable example is the mention of a Jacques BENIT in the charter rolls of the Abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel in 1271.
During the Middle Ages, the name BENIT was also found in various place names, such as Benit-sur-Mer, a small village in Normandy. This indicates that some families may have adopted the name based on their place of origin or residence.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname BENIT was Jehan BENIT, a merchant from Rouen who was mentioned in the city's tax records in 1387. Another notable figure was Pierre BENIT, a scholar and theologian from Paris, who lived from 1445 to 1515.
In the 16th century, the BENIT family gained prominence in the region of Burgundy. Jean-Baptiste BENIT (1558-1628) was a renowned lawyer and judge who served as the President of the Parliament of Dijon.
Another notable bearer of the BENIT surname was Marie-Anne BENIT (1674-1742), a French writer and poet who was admired for her literary works during the Age of Enlightenment.
In the 18th century, the BENIT family had a presence in the wine-growing regions of Bordeaux. Jacques BENIT (1712-1785) was a respected winemaker whose Château Benit vineyards produced highly sought-after wines.
As the BENIT surname spread across France and Europe, it underwent various spelling variations, such as BENOIT, BENETTE, and BENARD, reflecting regional linguistic differences and scribal errors.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Benit
Among Census respondents with the surname Benit, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.4%. The next largest groups are Black (13.7%) and Hispanic (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Benit 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 Benit surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White74.4% · 87
- Black or African American13.7% · 16
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 5
- Two or more races4.3% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.6% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Benit
Benit 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
#118,853
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 146
+9 bearers (+6.6%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 1,315 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-29 bearers (-19.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 25,417 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #117,538 | 137 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #118,853 | 146 | 0.05 | +9 bearers (+6.6%) | Down 1,315 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | -29 bearers (-19.9%) | Down 25,417 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 Benit 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 | #118,853 | #144,270 | -21.4% |
| Count | 146 | 117 | -19.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -21.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Benit bearers went from 146 to 117 (-19.9% change). The surname moved down 25,417 positions in the national ranking, going from #118,853 to #144,270.
FAQ
Benit surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Benit?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Benit. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Benit?
Benit ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Benit. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Benit.
Has Benit become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Benit went from 146 recorded bearers to 117. That is a decrease of 29 (-19.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #118,853 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Benit?
Among Census respondents with the surname Benit, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.4%. The next largest groups are Black (13.7%) and Hispanic (4.3%). 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 Benit in the 2020 Census, accounting for 74.4% (87 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Benit appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (74.4%), Black (13.7%), Hispanic (4.3%). 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 Benit (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 Benit mean?
A Spanish surname possibly derived from the Latin name "Benedictus", 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 Benit (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 have the surname Benit?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.