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

Benoliel, 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 Benoliel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Benoliel in America

Benoliel is the 133863rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Benoliel surname appeared 126 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Benoliel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Benoliel 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 Benoliel

The surname Benoliel is of Portuguese-Jewish origin, tracing its roots back to the Iberian Peninsula during the medieval period. The name is believed to be derived from the Hebrew phrase "ben oliel," which translates to "son of the upright one" or "son of the just one."

This surname is closely associated with the Sephardic Jewish community, which faced persecution and expulsion from Spain and Portugal during the 15th and 16th centuries. Many Sephardic Jews fled to North Africa, the Netherlands, and other parts of Europe, carrying their names and cultural traditions with them.

One of the earliest known references to the Benoliel surname can be found in the records of the Portuguese Inquisition, where several individuals bearing this name were mentioned in connection with trials and persecutions against Jews in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. These records provide valuable insights into the historical presence of the Benoliel family in Portugal during that tumultuous period.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Benoliel surname began to appear in various Jewish communities across Europe and the Mediterranean region. Notably, Abraham Benoliel (1573-1645), a renowned rabbi and scholar, was born in Fez, Morocco, and later lived in Amsterdam, where he played a significant role in the intellectual and religious life of the Dutch Sephardic community.

Another prominent figure with this surname was Isaac Benoliel (1795-1868), a Jewish educator and philanthropist from Gibraltar. He was instrumental in establishing several educational institutions and promoting the welfare of the Jewish community in Gibraltar.

In the 19th century, Jacob Benoliel (1856-1928), a Moroccan-born Jew, became a prominent figure in the Zionist movement and played a vital role in promoting Jewish settlement in Ottoman Palestine. He served as the first President of the Sephardic Community in Jerusalem and worked tirelessly to support the growing Jewish population in the region.

Joseph Benoliel (1873-1942), a Portuguese Jew and linguist, made significant contributions to the study of Judeo-Spanish, the language spoken by Sephardic Jews. His scholarly works documented the rich linguistic heritage of the Sephardic community and helped preserve this important cultural legacy.

Throughout history, the Benoliel surname has been associated with individuals who have made notable contributions to various fields, including religion, education, philanthropy, and scholarship, reflecting the diverse experiences and resilience of the Sephardic Jewish diaspora.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Benoliel

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

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

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

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