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

Benson, 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 Benson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Benson in America

Benson is the 365th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Benson surname appeared 86,081 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 29 people would have the surname Benson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Benson 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 Benson

The surname Benson has its origins in the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. It is an English patronymic name, derived from the personal name Ben or Benedict, which means "blessed". The name is believed to have originated in the northern counties of England, particularly Yorkshire and Northumberland, during the early medieval period.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Benson can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Bensone". This document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, was a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation in England at the time.

During the 12th and 13th centuries, the name Benson began to appear in various historical records and manuscripts, including the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire and the Hundred Rolls of Northumberland. These records often referred to individuals with the surname Benson as landowners or tenants in their respective regions.

The earliest known bearer of the name Benson was Robert Benson, who lived in Yorkshire during the reign of King Henry II (1154-1189). Another notable figure was Sir John Benson (c. 1350-1428), a prominent English landowner and Member of Parliament for Northumberland during the 15th century.

In the 16th century, the Benson family gained prominence in the city of Leeds, where they were influential merchants and civic leaders. One of the most famous members of this family was Sir Robert Benson (1675-1731), who served as Lord Mayor of York and was instrumental in the establishment of the Yorkshire Philosophical Society.

Other notable individuals with the surname Benson include Edward White Benson (1829-1896), who served as the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1883 to 1896, and Edward Frederic Benson (1867-1940), a renowned English novelist and biographer who wrote several popular works, including the Mapp and Lucia series.

The name Benson has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Benson in Oxfordshire and Bensonhurst in Yorkshire. These place names may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.

In summary, the surname Benson has a rich history rooted in the Anglo-Saxon heritage of northern England. It has been borne by notable figures throughout the centuries, from landowners and politicians to religious leaders and literary figures. The name's origins can be traced back to the early medieval period and have been documented in historical records spanning over a millennium.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Benson

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

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

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

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