2000
#150,436
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Bennecke
A German surname derived from a nickname referring to one who is "pugnacious" or a "frequent striker".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Bennecke. 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 Bennecke 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 Bennecke 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 Bennecke, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bennecke
The surname BENNECKE is of German origin, originating in the northern regions of the country during the late medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old German word "benne," meaning "swampy area" or "marshy land," combined with the suffix "-ecke," which denotes a specific place or location.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name BENNECKE can be found in the historical records of the city of Hamburg, dating back to the 15th century. These records mention a merchant named Hans BENNECKE, who was involved in the trade of textiles and spices.
The name BENNECKE was also present in various areas of Prussia, particularly in the regions of Pomerania and East Prussia. In the 16th century, a nobleman named Gerhard BENNECKE was recorded as owning substantial landholdings in the village of Benkendorf, near the city of Königsberg (now Kaliningrad, Russia).
During the 17th century, the name BENNECKE gained some prominence in the academic and literary circles of Germany. Johann BENNECKE (1595-1673), a noted theologian and author, served as a professor at the University of Rostock and published several works on religious and philosophical topics.
In the 18th century, Johann Gottlieb BENNECKE (1745-1819) was a renowned German jurist and legal scholar. He held the position of Chief Justice in the Principality of Halberstadt and made significant contributions to the development of German civil law.
Another notable figure bearing the surname BENNECKE was Carl Gustav BENNECKE (1819-1898), a German architect and urban planner. He was responsible for designing several prominent buildings and public spaces in the city of Berlin during the latter half of the 19th century.
While the surname BENNECKE is not among the most common in Germany today, it has a rich historical legacy that can be traced back to the northern regions of the country, with its origins rooted in the Old German language and references to marshy or swampy areas.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bennecke
Among Census respondents with the surname Bennecke, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Bennecke 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 Bennecke surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.0% · 103
- Hispanic or Latino9.4% · 11
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bennecke
Bennecke 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
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
+6 bearers (+6.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,333 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+11 bearers (+10.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 9,499 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #150,436 | 100 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+6.0%) | Down 3,333 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | +11 bearers (+10.4%) | Up 9,499 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 Bennecke 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 | #153,769 | #144,270 | 6.2% |
| Count | 106 | 117 | 10.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bennecke bearers went from 106 to 117 (+10.4% change). The surname moved up 9,499 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #144,270.
FAQ
Bennecke surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bennecke?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Bennecke. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Bennecke?
Bennecke 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 Bennecke. 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 Bennecke.
Has Bennecke become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bennecke went from 106 recorded bearers to 117. That is an increase of 11 (+10.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #153,769 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Bennecke?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bennecke, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Bennecke in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.0% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bennecke appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.0%), Hispanic (9.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Bennecke (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 Bennecke mean?
A German surname derived from a nickname referring to one who is "pugnacious" or a "frequent striker". 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 Bennecke (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 last name Bennecke?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Bennecke on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.