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

Benningfield, 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 Benningfield surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Benningfield in America

Benningfield is the 16462nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Benningfield surname appeared 1,746 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Benningfield.

We can also compare 2010 data for Benningfield 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 Benningfield

The surname Benningfield is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "bening" meaning "prayer" or "petition" and "feld" meaning "field" or "open land." It is believed to have emerged in the 12th century as a locational surname, referring to individuals who lived or worked in an area known for its religious significance or association with a particular church or monastery.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Benningfield can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire, dated 1195, where a person named Robert de Benningfeld is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already established in the region during the late 12th century.

The Benningfield surname also appears in several other historical records, such as the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, where a certain John de Benyngfeld is listed. Additionally, the Feet of Fines for Warwickshire in 1428 mentions a Richard Benyngfeld.

In the 16th century, the surname took on various spellings, including Bennyngfeld, Bennyngfelde, and Benningfeild, reflecting the evolving nature of English orthography during that time period.

One notable individual bearing the Benningfield surname was Sir Edward Benningfield (1568-1638), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Malmesbury in the early 17th century.

Another individual of historical significance was Robert Benningfield (1638-1701), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of St. Peter's Church in Wolverhampton. He is known for his published works, including "The Devout Christian's Manual" and "The True Believer's Triumph over Death."

In the 18th century, the Benningfield family had a presence in various parts of England, including Gloucestershire, where a John Benningfield (1712-1784) was a prominent landowner and farmer.

The 19th century saw the birth of William Benningfield (1827-1901), a British industrialist and entrepreneur who founded the Benningfield Engineering Company in Birmingham, which played a significant role in the industrial revolution.

Lastly, it is worth mentioning Sarah Benningfield (1880-1962), a British suffragette and activist who campaigned tirelessly for women's rights and the right to vote in the early 20th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Benningfield

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

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

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

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