Explore the Family Name Bene
The meaning of Bene
1. Hungarian and Slovak: from a short form of the personal name Hungarian Benedek, Slovak Benedikt (see Benedict). 2. Italian: from the personal name Bene, an omen or well-wishing name meaning ‘well, good’, or a short form of various compound omen or well-wishing names beginning with this element, such as Benvenuto ‘welcome’ and Benenato ‘well born’. 3. German: from a short form of Beneke. 4. Croatian and Slovenian: from a short form of the personal name Benedikt (see Benedict). This surname is very rare in Slovenia. Some characteristic forenames: Hungarian Imre, Istvan, Janos, Sandor, Tibor.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Bene in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname "Bene" showed a slight increase between 2000 and 2010. The rank of the surname rose from 30,483 in 2000 to 30,390 in 2010, representing a minor change of 0.31%. During this period, the count of people with the Bene surname also increased by 6.36%, from 723 to 769. However, its proportion per 100,000 people declined slightly by -3.7%, indicating that while the number of people bearing this surname grew, it did not keep pace with the overall population growth.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #30,483 | #30,390 | 0.31% |
| Count | 723 | 769 | 6.36% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.27 | 0.26 | -3.7% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Bene
Turning to ethnicity, the census data reveals changes in the ethnic identity associated with the Bene surname from 2000 to 2010. The percentage of those identifying as White dropped marginally from 90.87% to 89.34%, a decrease of -1.68%. Conversely, there was a significant increase in the percentage identifying as Black, with a rise from 3.18% to 4.29%, demonstrating a 34.91% change. Those identifying as Hispanic saw a modest increase of 9.64%, moving from 3.32% to 3.64%. The proportion of individuals reporting two or more races also rose slightly from 1.66% to 1.82%. No Bene family members identified as Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native during these years, according to the Decennial U.S. Census data.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 90.87% | 89.34% | -1.68% |
| Black | 3.18% | 4.29% | 34.91% |
| Hispanic | 3.32% | 3.64% | 9.64% |
| Two or More Races | 1.66% | 1.82% | 9.64% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |