2000
#61,855
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 303
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.11
Very Rare Last name
Benveniste
A surname of Italian origin meaning "welcome" or "well-received".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 353 Americans carry the last name Benveniste. That puts it at #68,789 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 970,975 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Benveniste 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
353
1 in 970,975
Census rank
#68,789
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
308
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 308 bearers of the surname Benveniste in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 68789th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Benveniste, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (22.7%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Benveniste
The surname Benveniste originates from the Iberian Peninsula, specifically from the regions of Spain and Portugal where Jewish communities thrived during the Middle Ages. It is a Sephardic Jewish name derived from the Italian phrase "ben venuto" or "bien venido" in Spanish, meaning "welcome" or "well-received."
The name Benveniste is believed to have first appeared in records during the 12th and 13th centuries, when Jewish families settled in various parts of the Iberian Peninsula. Some of the earliest known references to the name can be found in medieval documents and records from cities like Barcelona, Valencia, and Seville.
One notable historical figure bearing the surname Benveniste was Rabbi Sheshet Benveniste, a prominent Spanish scholar and halakhic authority who lived in the 13th century. He is known for his contributions to Jewish law and is cited in the works of other renowned rabbis of his time.
Another significant individual with the Benveniste surname was Don Isaac Abravanel Benveniste, a prominent Jewish courtier and financier who served as a treasurer to King Ferdinand II of Aragon in the late 15th century. He played a crucial role in the Spanish monarchy's finances and was highly respected for his financial acumen.
In the 16th century, the Benveniste family gained prominence in the Ottoman Empire, where they established themselves as successful merchants and diplomats. One of the most famous members was Joseph Benveniste, a prominent merchant and diplomat who served as the Chief Rabbi of Istanbul in the late 16th century.
The Benveniste surname also found its way to other parts of Europe, particularly in France and Italy, where Jewish families sought refuge after the expulsion from Spain in 1492. In France, the Benveniste family produced several notable intellectuals and scholars, including Moses Benveniste, a renowned philosopher and theologian who lived in the 17th century.
Throughout history, the Benveniste surname has been associated with various professions, including rabbis, scholars, merchants, financiers, and diplomats. While the name has undergone minor spelling variations, such as Benveniste, Benavente, or Bienvenida, its origins and meaning have remained firmly rooted in the Sephardic Jewish heritage of the Iberian Peninsula.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Benveniste
Among Census respondents with the surname Benveniste, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (22.7%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Benveniste 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 Benveniste surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White72.4% · 223
- Hispanic or Latino22.7% · 70
- Two or more races2.9% · 9
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.6% · 5
- Black or African American0.3% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Benveniste
Benveniste appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#64,200
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 310
+7 bearers (+2.3%)
Per 100,000 0.11
Rank movement Down 2,345 places
2020
#68,789
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 308
-2 bearers (-0.6%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Down 4,589 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #61,855 | 303 | 0.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #64,200 | 310 | 0.11 | +7 bearers (+2.3%) | Down 2,345 places |
| 2020 | #68,789 | 308 | 0.10 | -2 bearers (-0.6%) | Down 4,589 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 Benveniste 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 | #64,200 | #68,789 | -7.1% |
| Count | 310 | 308 | -0.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.11 | 0.10 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Benveniste bearers went from 310 to 308 (-0.6% change). The surname moved down 4,589 positions in the national ranking, going from #64,200 to #68,789.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Benveniste
FAQ
Benveniste surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Benveniste?
Name Census estimates that about 353 living Americans carry the surname Benveniste. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 970,975 residents.
How common is Benveniste?
Benveniste ranks #68,789 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.10 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 308 people with the surname Benveniste. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (353), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.10 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 Benveniste.
Has Benveniste become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Benveniste went from 310 recorded bearers to 308. That is a decrease of 2 (-0.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #64,200 to #68,789.
What does the Census say about the background of Benveniste?
Among Census respondents with the surname Benveniste, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (22.7%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Benveniste in the 2020 Census, accounting for 72.4% (223 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Benveniste appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (72.4%), Hispanic (22.7%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Benveniste (2000, 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 Benveniste mean?
A surname of Italian origin meaning "welcome" or "well-received". 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 Benveniste (0.10 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 last name Benveniste?
Want to know how common the surname Benveniste is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.