Explore the Family Name Bentley
The meaning of Bentley
1. English: habitational name from any of various places, the chief of which are in Derbyshire, Essex, Hampshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Suffolk, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, and East and South Yorkshire. The placename is from Old English beonet ‘bent grass’ + lēah ‘woodland clearing’. 2. In some cases also an Americanized form of South German Bentele or of its Swiss German or South German cognates Bandle and Bandli.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Bentley in the United States?
Based on the data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Bentley has experienced a slight downturn. In 2000, it was ranked 814 in terms of prevalence, but by 2010, it had slipped to 862, indicating a 5.9% decrease in rank. Despite this drop in ranking, the number of individuals bearing the Bentley name actually increased from 38,714 in 2000 to 40,193 in 2010, marking a 3.82% growth. However, when taking into account population growth, the proportion of individuals named Bentley per 100,000 decreased by 5.02%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #814 | #862 | -5.9% |
| Count | 38,714 | 40,193 | 3.82% |
| Proportion per 100k | 14.35 | 13.63 | -5.02% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Bentley
In terms of ethnicity, the Bentley surname showcases diverse ethnic identities based on the information from the Decennial U.S. Census. Between 2000 and 2010, there's been an increase in Bentleys with Asian/Pacific Islander, Two or more races, Hispanic, Black, and American Indian and Alaskan Native backgrounds, with respective changes of 20.93%, 33.57%, 42.24%, 2.15%, and 2.22%. However, there was a slight decrease in the percentage of Bentleys identifying as White, falling from 84.00% to 82.48%, a change of -1.81%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 84% | 82.48% | -1.81% |
| Black | 12.12% | 12.38% | 2.15% |
| Hispanic | 1.61% | 2.29% | 42.24% |
| Two or More Races | 1.4% | 1.87% | 33.57% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.43% | 0.52% | 20.93% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.45% | 0.46% | 2.22% |
Bentley 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 Bentley is British & Irish, which comprises 57.4% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (21.9%) and Scandinavian (3.9%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Ashkenazi Jewish, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Nigerian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 57.4% |
| French & German | 21.9% |
| Scandinavian | 3.9% |
| Other | 16.8% |
Possible origins of the surname Bentley
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 Bentley have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 90.10% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 89.80% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 89.70% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 89.70% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 89.70% |
What Bentley 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 Bentley is G-L1263, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup G-L1263 is descended from haplogroup G-M201. Other common haplogroups include I-Z58 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Lowe, Norman, Fox, Stevenson, Shaw, Jarvis, Stephenson, White, Marsh, Blake.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Bentley surname are: H1, H3, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins G-M201Your 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 Bentley 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.
"Bentley" Surname 43.0%
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.
"Bentley" Surname 30.9%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Bentley" Surname 23.0%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Bentley" Surname 18.3%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Bentley?
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 Bentley are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition