2000
#73,154
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 247
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.09
Very Rare Last name
Bening
A surname derived from the German word "benning," meaning "living on a pasture."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 261 Americans carry the last name Bening. That puts it at #87,624 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,313,235 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bening 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
261
1 in 1,313,235
Census rank
#87,624
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
228
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 228 bearers of the surname Bening in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 87624th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bening, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.2%) and Black (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bening
The surname Bening originated in Germany, with the earliest known records dating back to the 12th century. The name is derived from the Old German word "bene," which means "flat" or "level," and likely referred to a person who lived on a flat or level piece of land.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bening can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of medieval documents from the region of Saxony, where a certain Heinrich Bening is mentioned in a charter from 1198. The name also appears in various other medieval records from different parts of Germany, such as the Würzburg Codex from the 13th century.
In the 14th century, the name Bening was particularly prevalent in the city of Nuremberg, where several prominent individuals bore this surname. One notable example is Johann Bening, a renowned manuscript illuminator who lived from around 1415 to 1475. His work can be found in various medieval manuscripts, including the famous Grimani Breviary, which is now housed in the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana in Venice.
Another significant figure with the surname Bening was Johann Bening the Younger, who was also a manuscript illuminator and lived from around 1490 to 1530. He was the son of Johann Bening and carried on the family tradition of illuminating manuscripts for nobility and religious institutions.
In the 16th century, the name Bening was found in various parts of Germany, as well as in neighboring regions such as Austria and Switzerland. One notable bearer of the name was Georg Bening, a scholar and theologian who lived from 1522 to 1589 and served as a professor at the University of Ingolstadt.
The surname Bening also has variations in spelling, such as Benning, Bennig, and Benninger, which can be found in historical records from different regions of Germany and other parts of Europe. Some of these variations may have originated from different dialects or regional pronunciations of the name.
Overall, the surname Bening has a rich history that spans several centuries and is deeply rooted in the German language and culture. While the name may have evolved and spread to other parts of the world over time, its origins can be traced back to medieval Germany, where it was associated with influential individuals in various fields, including the arts, academia, and religion.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bening
Among Census respondents with the surname Bening, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.2%) and Black (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Bening 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 Bening surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.9% · 214
- Hispanic or Latino2.2% · 5
- Black or African American1.8% · 4
- Two or more races1.8% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bening
Bening 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
#79,075
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 241
-6 bearers (-2.4%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Down 5,921 places
2020
#87,624
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 228
-13 bearers (-5.4%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Down 8,549 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #73,154 | 247 | 0.09 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #79,075 | 241 | 0.08 | -6 bearers (-2.4%) | Down 5,921 places |
| 2020 | #87,624 | 228 | 0.08 | -13 bearers (-5.4%) | Down 8,549 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 Bening 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 | #79,075 | #87,624 | -10.8% |
| Count | 241 | 228 | -5.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.08 | 0.08 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bening bearers went from 241 to 228 (-5.4% change). The surname moved down 8,549 positions in the national ranking, going from #79,075 to #87,624.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Bening
FAQ
Bening surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bening?
Name Census estimates that about 261 living Americans carry the surname Bening. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,313,235 residents.
How common is Bening?
Bening ranks #87,624 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.08 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 228 people with the surname Bening. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (261), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.08 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 Bening.
Has Bening become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bening went from 241 recorded bearers to 228. That is a decrease of 13 (-5.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #79,075 to #87,624.
What does the Census say about the background of Bening?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bening, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.2%) and Black (1.8%). 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 Bening in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.9% (214 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bening appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.9%), Hispanic (2.2%), Black (1.8%). 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 Bening (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 Bening mean?
A surname derived from the German word "benning," meaning "living on a pasture." 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 Bening (0.08 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 common is the surname Bening?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Bening on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.