Explore the Family Name Bennett
The meaning of Bennett
1. English: from the medieval personal name Benedict, from Latin Benedictus ‘blessed’. In the 12th century the Latin form of the name is found in England alongside versions derived from the Old French form Beneit, Benoit, which was common among the Normans. The surname has also been established in Ireland since the 14th century. 2. German: from a short form of the personal name Bernhard. 3. Altered form of French Benet or Bennet or Binet, and possibly also of some other similar (like-sounding) French surname. Altered ending reflects the Canadian and American French practice of sounding the final -t. Compare Bennet 3. History: The surname Bennett of French origin (see 3 above) was in 2021 listed along with its original form Benet in the online version of the (US) National Huguenot Society’s register of qualified Huguenot ancestors; in the printed 5th edition (2012) of the Register the altered form of the surname is Bennet 3. The surname Bennett is indeed also borne by the descendants of Willem Adriaense Benet, who is recognized as a Huguenot ancestor. — Some of the American bearers of the surname Bennett are descendants of René Binet from France (see Binet).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Bennett in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Bennett has slightly decreased in the last decade. In 2000, it was ranked 78th and dropped to the 86th position by 2010, marking a decrease of about 10.26 percent. However, the count of individuals with this surname increased from 239,055 in 2000 to 247,599 in 2010, representing a growth rate of 3.57 percent. This led to a slight decrease in the proportion per 100,000 from 88.62 to 83.94.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #78 | #86 | -10.26% |
| Count | 239,055 | 247,599 | 3.57% |
| Proportion per 100k | 88.62 | 83.94 | -5.28% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Bennett
In terms of ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows several changes over the course of a decade. In 2000, 79 percent of those with the surname Bennett identified as White; this percentage decreased slightly to 76.56 percent by 2010. The proportion identifying as Black increased by 6.18 percent, going from 16.51 percent in 2000 to 17.53 percent in 2010. There was a noticeable increase in the Hispanic population with this surname, from 1.65 percent in 2000 to 2.50 percent in 2010. Those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and as two or more races also saw an increase in their proportions. Meanwhile, the American Indian and Alaskan Native population remained relatively stable with only a minor decrease of 1.12 percent. Data for other ethnicities was suppressed for privacy reasons.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 79% | 76.56% | -3.09% |
| Black | 16.51% | 17.53% | 6.18% |
| Hispanic | 1.65% | 2.5% | 51.52% |
| Two or More Races | 1.54% | 1.99% | 29.22% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.89% | 0.88% | -1.12% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.41% | 0.53% | 29.27% |
Bennett ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Bennett is British & Irish, which comprises 52.9% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (22.9%) and Eastern European (3.6%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Italian, Nigerian, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Spanish & Portuguese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 52.9% |
| French & German | 22.9% |
| Eastern European | 3.6% |
| Other | 20.5% |
Possible origins of the surname Bennett
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Bennett have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 84.20% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 83.90% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 83.90% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 83.40% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 83.40% |
What Bennett haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Bennett is R-P311, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-P311 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-M405 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Smith, Brown, Miller, Davis, Hall, Wilson, Clark, Harrison, Taylor, Martin.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Bennett surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Bennett have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Bennett" Surname 41.8%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Bennett" Surname 26.9%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Bennett" Surname 23.5%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Cat Allergy
An allergic reaction to cats, characterized by symptoms such as sneezing, itching, and difficulty breathing.
"Bennett" Surname 36.2%
23andMe Users 36.7%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Bennett?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Bennett are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition