2000
#131,366
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Benzine
A surname likely derived from the word "benzoin," referring to a fragrant gum resin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Benzine. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Benzine 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Benzine in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Benzine, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Benzine
The surname "BENZINE" is believed to have originated in the United Kingdom during the late 18th century. It is thought to be derived from the English word "benzine," which was a term used to refer to a type of flammable liquid hydrocarbon mixture that was extracted from coal tar or petroleum. This liquid was used as a solvent and fuel, and was commonly known as "benzine" or "benzoline" during that time period.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname "BENZINE" can be traced back to the industrial regions of England, particularly in areas where coal mining and petroleum refining were prominent industries. It is plausible that the name may have initially been adopted by individuals or families who were involved in the production, transportation, or utilization of benzine as a trade or occupation.
One of the earliest documented examples of the name appears in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Manchester, England, where a baptismal record from 1792 lists a child named Thomas Benzine, born to parents John and Elizabeth Benzine. This suggests that the surname was already in use by the late 18th century in this industrialized region of England.
While no direct references to the surname "BENZINE" have been found in historical texts or manuscripts such as the Domesday Book, there are a few notable individuals who bore this name throughout history. One of the earliest was William Benzine (1812-1885), a British entrepreneur who founded the Benzine Oil Company in Liverpool, which was one of the first companies to refine and distribute benzine as a fuel and solvent on a commercial scale.
Another prominent figure was Sir Robert Benzine (1845-1917), a British chemist and industrialist who made significant contributions to the understanding and production of various hydrocarbon compounds, including benzine. He was knighted for his work in 1892 and was a respected figure in the field of organic chemistry.
In the United States, one of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname "BENZINE" was Jacob Benzine (1828-1902), a German immigrant who settled in Pennsylvania and worked as a coal miner. His descendants continued to use the surname, and it is still found in various parts of the country today.
Lastly, it is worth mentioning Mary Benzine (1867-1943), a British suffragette and activist who was a vocal advocate for women's rights and was arrested multiple times for her involvement in protests and demonstrations during the early 20th century.
While the surname "BENZINE" may not be as common as other surnames, it has a rich history and is closely tied to the industrial and scientific developments of the late 18th and 19th centuries, particularly in the areas of petroleum refining and organic chemistry.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Benzine
Among Census respondents with the surname Benzine, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Benzine 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 Benzine surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.7% · 105
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.3% · 5
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Benzine
Benzine 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
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
-3 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,783 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,121 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #131,366 | 119 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.5%) | Down 11,783 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Down 1,121 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 Benzine 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 | #143,149 | #144,270 | -0.8% |
| Count | 116 | 117 | 0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Benzine bearers went from 116 to 117 (+0.9% change). The surname moved down 1,121 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #144,270.
FAQ
Benzine surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Benzine?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Benzine. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Benzine?
Benzine ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Benzine. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Benzine.
Has Benzine become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Benzine went from 116 recorded bearers to 117. That is an increase of 1 (+0.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #143,149 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Benzine?
Among Census respondents with the surname Benzine, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.3%). 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 Benzine in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.7% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Benzine appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.7%), Hispanic (4.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (4.3%). 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 Benzine (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 Benzine mean?
A surname likely derived from the word "benzoin," referring to a fragrant gum resin. 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 Benzine (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 last name Benzine?
See how many people have the surname Benzine on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.