2000
#117,538
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 137
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Bennefeld
A locational surname denoting someone from a place named Bennefeld.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Bennefeld. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bennefeld 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Bennefeld in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bennefeld, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bennefeld
The surname BENNEFELD originates from Germany and dates back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated in the village of Bennfeld, located in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate. The name is derived from the German words "Benne" meaning "swamp" and "feld" meaning "field," suggesting it was likely given to someone who lived near or owned land near a swampy field.
Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in medieval German texts and records. One notable mention is in the Würzburg Codex from the 13th century, which lists a "Johannes Bennefeld" as a landowner in the region.
The surname BENNEFELD can be traced back to the 14th century, with one of the earliest recorded individuals being Hans Bennefeld, a merchant from Mainz who lived from around 1320 to 1385. Another early figure was Konrad Bennefeld, a monk and scholar who lived in the 15th century and authored several theological works.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name became more widespread across Germany, with several notable individuals bearing the surname. One was Johann Bennefeld, a prominent lawyer and judge who lived from 1535 to 1610 and served in the court of the Elector of Saxony. Another was Christoph Bennefeld, a Lutheran pastor and theologian who lived from 1592 to 1657 and authored several religious texts.
In the 18th century, the name gained further recognition with the birth of Johann Jakob Bennefeld, a German composer and organist who lived from 1704 to 1774. He is known for his contributions to the development of Protestant church music in Germany.
As the name spread beyond its original region, variations in spelling emerged, such as Bennfeld, Bennefeldt, and Bennefelter. However, the core name and its meaning remained largely unchanged.
While not as prevalent as in earlier centuries, the surname BENNEFELD continues to be found throughout Germany and other parts of Europe, with a rich historical legacy dating back to medieval times.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bennefeld
Among Census respondents with the surname Bennefeld, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Bennefeld 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 Bennefeld surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.2% · 110
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 5
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bennefeld
Bennefeld 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
#123,064
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 140
+3 bearers (+2.2%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 5,526 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-22 bearers (-15.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 20,447 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 | #123,064 | 140 | 0.05 | +3 bearers (+2.2%) | Down 5,526 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | -22 bearers (-15.7%) | Down 20,447 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 Bennefeld 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 | #123,064 | #143,511 | -16.6% |
| Count | 140 | 118 | -15.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -21.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bennefeld bearers went from 140 to 118 (-15.7% change). The surname moved down 20,447 positions in the national ranking, going from #123,064 to #143,511.
FAQ
Bennefeld surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bennefeld?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Bennefeld. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Bennefeld?
Bennefeld ranks #143,511 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 118 people with the surname Bennefeld. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), 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 Bennefeld.
Has Bennefeld become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bennefeld went from 140 recorded bearers to 118. That is a decrease of 22 (-15.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #123,064 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Bennefeld?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bennefeld, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Two or More Races (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 Bennefeld in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.2% (110 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bennefeld appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.2%), Hispanic (4.2%), Two or More Races (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 Bennefeld (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 Bennefeld mean?
A locational surname denoting someone from a place named Bennefeld. 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 Bennefeld (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 common is the surname Bennefeld?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Bennefeld at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.