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

Bentz, 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 Bentz surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bentz in America

Bentz is the 5838th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bentz surname appeared 5,923 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Bentz.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bentz 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 Bentz

The surname Bentz is of Germanic origin and can be traced back to the medieval era in central Europe. It is derived from the Old High German word "benz," which referred to a type of tall, thin person. This nickname likely described someone with a slender physique and was later adopted as a hereditary surname.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bentz can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of historical documents from the Rhine region in Germany, where a certain "Henricus Benz" is mentioned in a document dated 1287. This suggests that the name was already in use by the 13th century in that area.

In the 14th century, the Bentz surname appeared in various forms in other parts of Germany and Switzerland, including Benz, Bentz, and Bents. For example, a "Hans Benz" is recorded in the town records of Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany, in 1372.

The Bentz surname has also been associated with certain place names, such as Benzheim and Benzingen in Germany. These locations may have influenced the development of the surname or been named after early bearers of the name.

Notable individuals throughout history who bore the surname Bentz include:

1. Philipp Bentz (1543-1616), a German Renaissance painter known for his religious works and portraits.
2. Johann Michael Bentz (1718-1796), a German architect and builder who designed several churches and palaces in the Baroque style.
3. Maria Bentz (1794-1867), a German novelist and poet who wrote under the pseudonym "Maria Bernstein."
4. Otto Bentz (1892-1972), a German aviator and aircraft designer who worked for companies like Junkers and Messerschmitt.
5. Hans Bentz (1903-1981), a Swiss politician and member of the National Council, the lower house of the Swiss Federal Assembly.

While the surname Bentz may have evolved and spread to various regions over time, its origins can be traced back to the Germanic-speaking areas of central Europe, where it likely originated as a descriptive nickname for a person's physical appearance.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bentz

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

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

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

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