2010
#140,157
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Benun
A Jewish surname derived from the Hebrew phrase "ben nun" meaning "son of Nun".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Benun. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Benun 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Benun in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Benun, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Benun
The surname BENUN is believed to have originated in the Basque region of northern Spain and southwestern France during the early medieval period. It is derived from the Basque word "benun," which means "blessed" or "fortunate." This suggests that the name may have been initially bestowed upon someone who was considered blessed or fortunate by their community.
The earliest known record of the surname BENUN can be traced back to the 12th century, when it appeared in a collection of charters and legal documents from the town of Bayonne in the Pyrenees region of southwestern France. These documents mention a landowner named Petri BENUN, who owned several vineyards in the area.
In the 13th century, the name BENUN is also found in the records of the Kingdom of Navarre, which encompassed parts of modern-day Spain and France. A nobleman named Sancho BENUN is mentioned as a member of the royal court during the reign of King Theobald I of Navarre (1201-1253).
During the 14th century, the BENUN surname spread to other parts of Europe, including Catalonia and Aragon in northeastern Spain. A notable figure from this era was Juan BENUN (1310-1375), a prominent merchant and trader who established trade routes between Barcelona and the Mediterranean ports of Italy and North Africa.
In the 15th century, the BENUN name appeared in the records of the Basque town of Guernica, which was once the capital of the Lordship of Biscay. A prominent figure from this time was Diego BENUN (1425-1498), a local magistrate and landowner who played a role in the governance of the region.
Another noteworthy individual with the BENUN surname was María BENUN (1520-1590), a Basque noblewoman who was known for her philanthropic efforts and support of local churches and monasteries in the Pyrenees region.
Throughout its history, the BENUN surname has maintained a strong presence in the Basque Country, where it continues to be a well-known and respected name. While not as widely distributed as some other surnames, the BENUN name has left an enduring legacy in the regions where it originated and thrived for centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Benun
Among Census respondents with the surname Benun, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Benun 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 Benun surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.2% · 97
- Hispanic or Latino10.9% · 12
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Benun
Benun appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-9 bearers (-7.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,289 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #140,157 | 119 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | -9 bearers (-7.6%) | Down 9,289 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 Benun 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 | #140,157 | #149,446 | -6.6% |
| Count | 119 | 110 | -7.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Benun bearers went from 119 to 110 (-7.6% change). The surname moved down 9,289 positions in the national ranking, going from #140,157 to #149,446.
FAQ
Benun surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Benun?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Benun. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Benun?
Benun ranks #149,446 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 110 people with the surname Benun. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), 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 Benun.
Has Benun become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Benun went from 119 recorded bearers to 110. That is a decrease of 9 (-7.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #140,157 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Benun?
Among Census respondents with the surname Benun, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Benun in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.2% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Benun appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.2%), Hispanic (10.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Benun (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 Benun mean?
A Jewish surname derived from the Hebrew phrase "ben nun" meaning "son of Nun". 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 Benun (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 many people have the surname Benun?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.