2000
#2,872
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,479
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.26
Uncommon Last name
Benner
A surname of German origin, derived from the Middle High German word "benne," meaning basket or wagon.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,758 Americans carry the last name Benner. That puts it at #3,165 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.72 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 26,866 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Benner 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Benner with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
13K
1 in 26,866
Census rank
#3,165
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,126 bearers of the surname Benner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.72 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3165th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Benner, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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In the 17th century, the Benner name appears in several historical documents related to German immigration to North America.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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Benner
Among Census respondents with the surname Benner, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Benner 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 Benner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.4% · 10,172
- Two or more races3.1% · 350
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 333
- Black or African American1.2% · 130
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 75
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 66
Timeline
Historical Census data for Benner
Benner 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
#3,100
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,612
+133 bearers (+1.2%)
Per 100,000 3.94
Rank movement Down 228 places
2020
#3,165
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,126
-486 bearers (-4.2%)
Per 100,000 3.72
Rank movement Down 65 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,872 | 11,479 | 4.26 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,100 | 11,612 | 3.94 | +133 bearers (+1.2%) | Down 228 places |
| 2020 | #3,165 | 11,126 | 3.72 | -486 bearers (-4.2%) | Down 65 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 Benner 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 | #3,100 | #3,165 | -2.1% |
| Count | 11,612 | 11,126 | -4.2% |
| Per 100K | 3.94 | 3.72 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Benner bearers went from 11,612 to 11,126 (-4.2% change). The surname moved down 65 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,100 to #3,165.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Benner
FAQ
Benner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Benner?
Name Census estimates that about 12,758 living Americans carry the surname Benner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 26,866 residents.
How common is Benner?
Benner ranks #3,165 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.72 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 11,126 people with the surname Benner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,758), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.72 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.72 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Benner.
Has Benner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Benner went from 11,612 recorded bearers to 11,126. That is a decrease of 486 (-4.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,100 to #3,165.
What does the Census say about the background of Benner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Benner, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Benner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.4% (10,172 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Benner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.4%), Two or More Races (3.1%), Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Benner (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 Benner mean?
A surname of German origin, derived from the Middle High German word "benne," meaning basket or wagon. 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 Benner (3.72 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 Americans have the surname Benner?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.