Surname Benn - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'B'
Benn: What does the surname Benn mean?
The last name Benn is an English surname from the Medieval period, derived from the Germanic personal name Benno, which means "blessed one." This personal name was borne by Pope Benedict II in the 9th Century and subsequently became widespread in Britain during the medieval period. The Ben(n) family claimed descent from a Benedictine monk or religious leader, but this is not confirmable. The name also has a patronymic meaning, as it was commonly used as an abbreviated form of the name "Benedict."
The surname was initially found in the area of southern England during the 14th century. It is suggested that the Benn family may have been descended from the same ancient Anglo-Saxon race as the Bensons and the Bennetts. In time the Benn family moved north in search of new lands and opportunities, settling in the regions of Lancashire, Yorkshire, and East Anglia, where they are now especially common.
The Benn surname can today be found in both the United States and the United Kingdom, although most Benns in the United States are descended from Irish immigrants as opposed to English immigrants. Generally speaking, the Benn family name carries the sense of a long-standing tradition of Christian faith and hardworking values.
Order DNA origin analysisBenn: Where does the name Benn come from?
The Benn surname is most commonly found in England and Wales today. In the 2018 data released by the Office of National Statistics, Benn was the 200th most common family name. The name’s prevalence in the population was estimated at about 33,000 individuals.
The largest concentration of people with the surname Bennett is in the Greater London area, while smaller numbers of individuals with the surname exist in the West Midlands, with the highest proportion (over 8%) located in Worcestershire. Historically, North Yorkshire and East Yorkshire have always been strongly associated with the Benn family name.
Due to England’s expansive past, many members of the Benn family also immigrated to the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand in search of new opportunities. Population records from these countries show that the Benn surname has grown significantly in recent years.
Therefore, today the Benn surname can be found predominately in England and Wales, as well as in the populations of immigrants who hail from England. The international spread of the name has allowed the Benn family to become an integral part of communities all across the English-speaking world.
Variations of the surname Benn
The surname Benn is a patronymic name derived from the first name Benedict, meaning “blessed”. The surname can be spelled as Benn, Benne, Bennet, Bennett, Bennetts, Bennetto, Bennetta, Bennit, Bennitt, Bennette, Benni, Benning, Bennings, Benninger, Benninghoff, Benninghausen, Benninger, Benninghoff.
There are variations of spelling the name outside of the English language, such as Bennitz (German), Bender and Bendel (Yiddish and German), Bendix (Dutch), Bendixen (Danish), Benveniste (Jewish and Portuguese), Benonis (Italian), Beniak (Polish).
Variants of the Benn surname include Bennie, Banny, Benny (or any combination of Benny and Bennie but typically ending in 'y') Bennight, Benningfield, Bennison, Bennington, Benton, Benellis, Benetis, Benezet, Bennet, Benney, Benning, Benoist, Benoit, Benon, Benoy, Benoit, Tenney, Bennott, Bent, Benkin, Bensen and Bennin.
There are also nicknames that have been derived from the surname, such as Beno, Ben, Bent, Benton, Benni and Benne. These are typically used as pet names for family and friends.
The spelling Benn may also be associated with various surnames such as Bence (Hungarian), Benes (Czech), Benesch (Austro-Hungarian), Beno (Belarusian), Benesov (Czech), Benezet (French), and Bannon (Irish). All of these surnames are derived from Benedict, or are associated with the same origin.
Famous people with the name Benn
- Jordan Benn: Professional Canadian Football Player
- Stephen Benn: British Conservative politician
- Tim Benn: Australian cyclist and Olympic gold medalist
- Ben Benn: American actor and artist
- Benn Barlage: Australian professional footballer
- Eddy Benn: New Zealand cricketer
- Aaron Benn: Soccer player from Trinidad and Tobago
- Derrick Benn: English footballer
- Arnold Benn: Canadian Olympic athlete
- Maurice Benn: British actor and director
- Jon Benn: American actor
- Will Benn: British actor 13.ando Benn: Brazilian soccer player
- Richard Benn: Australian record producer and multi instrumentalist 15.Ryan Benn: American professional lacrosse player
- Thomas Benn: Australian author
- Connor Benn: Professional boxer