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

Benner, 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 Benner surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Benner in America

Benner is the 3100th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Benner surname appeared 11,612 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Benner.

We can also compare 2010 data for Benner 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.

The history of the last name Benner

The surname Benner originated in Germany in the 16th century. It is derived from the Middle High German word "benne," which means "border" or "boundary." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near a border or boundary line.

The earliest recorded instances of the Benner surname can be found in church records and tax rolls from various regions of Germany, such as Bavaria and Saxony, dating back to the mid-1500s. Some variations in spelling include Benner, Bener, and Bennert.

In the 17th century, the Benner name appears in several historical documents related to German immigration to North America. One notable example is Johann Philipp Benner, who arrived in Pennsylvania from the Palatinate region of Germany in 1732.

The Benner surname is also associated with several notable figures throughout history. One of the earliest was Martin Benner (1542-1611), a German theologian and Protestant reformer who played a significant role in the development of Lutheran doctrine.

Another prominent individual with the Benner name was Johann Michael Benner (1718-1790), a German-born American clockmaker and millwright who is credited with building some of the earliest clocks and mills in Pennsylvania.

In the 19th century, Johann Benner (1818-1901) was a German-American businessman and philanthropist who founded the Benner Brewing Company in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and contributed significantly to the development of the city.

The Benner name has also been associated with several notable academics and scientists, such as Samuel Benner (1833-1913), an American chemist and educator who served as the first President of Olivet College in Michigan, and Charles Benner (1876-1942), a German-American physicist and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of radio technology.

While the Benner surname may have originated in Germany, it has since spread to various parts of the world through migration and immigration. However, its roots can be traced back to the Middle High German word "benne" and its association with borders and boundaries in the 16th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Benner

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

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 Benner was:

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

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

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

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