2000
#57,985
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 328
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.12
Very Rare Last name
Benigni
An Italian surname meaning "kind" or "good-natured."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 423 Americans carry the last name Benigni. That puts it at #59,236 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 810,294 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Benigni 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
423
1 in 810,294
Census rank
#59,236
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
369
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 369 bearers of the surname Benigni in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 59236th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Benigni, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Benigni
The surname BENIGNI is of Italian origin, first appearing in the 14th century. It is derived from the Italian word "benigno," meaning "kind" or "benign." The name likely originated in the region of Tuscany, where it was initially used as a descriptive nickname for someone with a gentle or good-natured personality.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the BENIGNI surname can be found in historical records from Florence, Italy, dating back to the late 1300s. These records mention a family called Benigni residing in the city during that time period.
The BENIGNI name has also been associated with several notable figures throughout history. One such individual was Giovanni Benigni, a 16th-century Italian architect and sculptor who worked on various projects in Rome and other parts of Italy. His birth and death years are unknown, but he was active during the Renaissance era.
Another prominent bearer of the BENIGNI surname was Umberto Benigni (1862-1934), an Italian politician and journalist who served as a member of the Italian Parliament and was a vocal supporter of Italian nationalism and the Risorgimento movement.
In the field of literature, Gianfranco Benigni (1944-2019) was an Italian author and poet known for his works exploring themes of identity, memory, and the human condition. He published several collections of poetry and received numerous literary awards throughout his lifetime.
The BENIGNI surname has also been connected to religious figures, such as Umberto Benigni (1862-1934), an Italian Catholic priest and historian who wrote extensively on Church history and served as a consultor for the Vatican's Congregation for the Causes of Saints.
Lastly, Roberto Benigni (born 1952) is a renowned Italian actor, comedian, and filmmaker who gained international acclaim for his roles in films like "Life Is Beautiful" and "The Monster." He has won numerous awards, including an Academy Award for Best Actor.
While the BENIGNI surname has its roots in Italy, it has since spread to other parts of the world as a result of migration and various historical events. However, its origins can be traced back to the medieval period in Tuscany, where it was initially used as a descriptive name for individuals with a kind and benevolent nature.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Benigni
Among Census respondents with the surname Benigni, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Benigni 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 Benigni surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.3% · 337
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 13
- Two or more races3.5% · 13
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 4
- Black or African American0.3% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Benigni
Benigni 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
#57,781
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 352
+24 bearers (+7.3%)
Per 100,000 0.12
Rank movement Up 204 places
2020
#59,236
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 369
+17 bearers (+4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.12
Rank movement Down 1,455 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #57,985 | 328 | 0.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #57,781 | 352 | 0.12 | +24 bearers (+7.3%) | Up 204 places |
| 2020 | #59,236 | 369 | 0.12 | +17 bearers (+4.8%) | Down 1,455 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 Benigni 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 | #57,781 | #59,236 | -2.5% |
| Count | 352 | 369 | 4.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.12 | 0.12 | 2.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Benigni bearers went from 352 to 369 (+4.8% change). The surname moved down 1,455 positions in the national ranking, going from #57,781 to #59,236.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Benigni
FAQ
Benigni surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Benigni?
Name Census estimates that about 423 living Americans carry the surname Benigni. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 810,294 residents.
How common is Benigni?
Benigni ranks #59,236 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.12 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 369 people with the surname Benigni. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (423), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.12 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 Benigni.
Has Benigni become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Benigni went from 352 recorded bearers to 369. That is an increase of 17 (+4.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #57,781 to #59,236.
What does the Census say about the background of Benigni?
Among Census respondents with the surname Benigni, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Benigni in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.3% (337 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Benigni appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.3%), Hispanic (3.5%), Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Benigni (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 Benigni mean?
An Italian surname meaning "kind" or "good-natured." 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 Benigni (0.12 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 Benigni?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.