2000
#143,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Benniefield
A locational surname deriving from a place name of Anglo-Saxon origin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Benniefield. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Benniefield 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Benniefield in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Benniefield, the largest self-reported group is Black at 83.3%. The next largest groups are White (10.2%) and Two or More Races (5.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Benniefield
The surname BENNIEFIELD is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is a locational surname derived from a place name, likely referring to a specific field or area of land associated with an individual or family.
One possible origin of the name BENNIEFIELD could be from the Old English words "bene" meaning "bean" and "feld" meaning "field," suggesting it may have originated as a descriptive name for someone who lived near or worked on a field where beans were cultivated.
While there are no definitive historical records or manuscripts mentioning the name BENNIEFIELD specifically, similar spellings and variations can be found in various archives and documents from the 13th to 15th centuries, such as "Beanfield," "Benefield," and "Bennefield."
The earliest recorded example of the surname BENNIEFIELD dates back to the late 16th century. John Benniefield, born around 1570 in Oxfordshire, England, was a notable figure of this name. He was a renowned scholar and author, known for his works on theology and philosophy.
Another individual of note was Sir Thomas Benniefield (1635-1699), a prominent English politician and landowner from Warwickshire. He served as a Member of Parliament during the reign of King Charles II and was known for his involvement in local affairs and governance.
In the 18th century, Edward Benniefield (1707-1776) was a successful merchant and businessman from London. He made significant contributions to the city's trade and commerce, and his name is recorded in several historical documents related to mercantile activities.
The BENNIEFIELD surname also has ties to the literary world, with the novelist and playwright Margaret Benniefield (1843-1912) gaining recognition for her works exploring social and cultural themes of her time.
Lastly, Sir Robert Benniefield (1879-1954) was a distinguished British military officer who played a crucial role in World War I and later served as the Governor of Gibraltar from 1938 to 1944.
While the exact origins of the BENNIEFIELD surname remain uncertain, its history spans several centuries and is intertwined with various aspects of English society, ranging from literature and politics to business and military service.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Benniefield
Among Census respondents with the surname Benniefield, the largest self-reported group is Black at 83.3%. The next largest groups are White (10.2%) and Two or More Races (5.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Benniefield 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 Benniefield surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American83.3% · 90
- White10.2% · 11
- Two or more races5.6% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Benniefield
Benniefield 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
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
+6 bearers (+5.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,406 places
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-4 bearers (-3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,682 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #143,847 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.7%) | Down 3,406 places |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.6%) | Down 3,682 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 Benniefield 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 | #147,253 | #150,935 | -2.5% |
| Count | 112 | 108 | -3.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Benniefield bearers went from 112 to 108 (-3.6% change). The surname moved down 3,682 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #150,935.
FAQ
Benniefield surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Benniefield?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Benniefield. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Benniefield?
Benniefield ranks #150,935 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 108 people with the surname Benniefield. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), 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 Benniefield.
Has Benniefield become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Benniefield went from 112 recorded bearers to 108. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #147,253 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Benniefield?
Among Census respondents with the surname Benniefield, the largest self-reported group is Black at 83.3%. The next largest groups are White (10.2%) and Two or More Races (5.6%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Benniefield in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.3% (90 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Benniefield appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (83.3%), White (10.2%), Two or More Races (5.6%). 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 Benniefield (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 Benniefield mean?
A locational surname deriving from a place name of Anglo-Saxon origin. 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 Benniefield (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 Benniefield?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Benniefield at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.