2010
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Benzi
An Italian surname derived from a nickname meaning "small ben", referring to a personal trait or physical characteristic.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Benzi. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Benzi 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Benzi in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Benzi, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Black (1.7%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Benzi
The surname Benzi originated in Italy during the late medieval period. It is derived from the Italian word "benzo," which means "benzoin," a type of aromatic resin. This suggests that the name may have referred to someone who worked with or traded in this fragrant material.
The earliest known record of the name Benzi can be found in the archives of the city of Florence, dating back to the 13th century. It appears that the Benzi family was a prominent one in the region, with members holding influential positions in the city's government and guilds.
One notable figure from this era was Guido Benzi, a Florentine merchant and banker who lived in the late 13th century. He was involved in financing the construction of several important buildings in the city, including the Church of Santa Croce.
In the 15th century, another Benzi of note was Tommaso Benzi, a renowned humanist scholar and writer. He was born in Arezzo in 1428 and spent much of his life in Rome, where he served as a papal secretary and librarian.
During the Renaissance period, the name Benzi was also associated with the arts. One of the most celebrated artists with this surname was Giovanni Battista Benzi, a painter and architect who lived in the 16th century. He was born in Treviglio in 1536 and is best known for his work on the Cathedral of Milan.
Another notable figure was Giulio Benzi, a 17th-century Italian composer and organist. He was born in Siena in 1592 and served as the chapel master at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome.
The name Benzi continued to be prominent in various parts of Italy throughout the centuries, with members of the family making contributions in fields such as literature, politics, and the arts. Some of the variations in spelling that appeared over time included Benzi, Benci, and Benzo.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Benzi
Among Census respondents with the surname Benzi, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Black (1.7%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Benzi 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 Benzi surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.0% · 114
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Benzi
Benzi 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
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+12 bearers (+11.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 9,483 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | +12 bearers (+11.1%) | Up 9,483 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 Benzi 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 | #151,532 | #142,049 | 6.3% |
| Count | 108 | 120 | 11.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Benzi bearers went from 108 to 120 (+11.1% change). The surname moved up 9,483 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #142,049.
FAQ
Benzi surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Benzi?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Benzi. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Benzi?
Benzi ranks #142,049 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 120 people with the surname Benzi. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), 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 Benzi.
Has Benzi become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Benzi went from 108 recorded bearers to 120. That is an increase of 12 (+11.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #151,532 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Benzi?
Among Census respondents with the surname Benzi, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Black (1.7%) and Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Benzi in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.0% (114 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Benzi appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.0%), Black (1.7%), Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Benzi (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 Benzi mean?
An Italian surname derived from a nickname meaning "small ben", referring to a personal trait or physical characteristic. 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 Benzi (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 share the surname Benzi?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.