Explore the Family Name Benis
The meaning of Benis
1. Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic): patronymic from the Yiddish male personal name Benye (a pet form of Beniamin; see Bien, Benjamin) + the Yiddish possessive and patronymic suffix -s. 2. Latvian: from a short form of the personal name Benedikts (see Benedict). 3. Czech and Slovak (Beniš): from a short form of the personal name Benedikt (see Benedict). The homonymous Sorbian cognates B’eniš and Bjeniš are found in Germanized and Americanized forms, only (see Benisch and Benish). Some characteristic forenames: Russian Leonid, Mikhail, Vladimir.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Benis in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname "Benis" has seen a significant decrease between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Benis was ranked as the 70,473rd most popular surname in the United States. A decade later, it dropped to ranking 92,358th, a decline of over 31 percent. The total number of individuals carrying this surname also fell from 259 to 199, a drop of more than 23 percent. Consequently, the proportion of the U.S. population with this surname per 100,000 people reduced by 30 percent.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #70,473 | #92,358 | -31.05% |
| Count | 259 | 199 | -23.17% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.1 | 0.07 | -30% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Benis
The ethnic identity associated with the name Benis has also changed between 2000 and 2010, as revealed by the Decennial U.S. Census. In 2000, the vast majority of individuals with the Benis surname identified as White (87.26 percent), followed by Hispanic and Black (both at 4.63 percent). By 2010, the proportion of those identifying as White had increased to 88.94 percent, while the percentage identifying as Black also rose to 6.53 percent. However, during this period, there was a disappearance of those identifying as Hispanic or belonging to two or more races. New to the list in 2010 were individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, although they made up just 2.51 percent of the Benis population.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 87.26% | 88.94% | 1.93% |
| Black | 4.63% | 6.53% | 41.04% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 2.51% | 0% |
| Two or More Races | 3.09% | 0% | 0% |
| Hispanic | 4.63% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |