NameCensus.

UK surname

Benner

A surname of German origin, derived from the Middle High German word "benne," meaning basket or wagon.

In the 1881 census there were 155 people recorded with the Benner surname, ranking it #15,174 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 226, ranked #18,044, down from #15,174 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, London parishes and Nottingham St Mary. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Gedling and Charnwood.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Benner is 250 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 45.8%.

1881 census count

155

Ranked #15,174

Modern count

226

2016, ranked #18,044

Peak year

1891

250 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Benner had 155 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,174 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 226 in 2016, ranked #18,044.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 250 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Benner surname distribution map

The map shows where the Benner surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Benner surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Benner over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 109 #16,212
1861 historical 234 #10,463
1881 historical 155 #15,174
1891 historical 250 #12,762
1901 historical 186 #15,839
1911 historical 185 #15,686
1997 modern 198 #17,729
1998 modern 209 #17,650
1999 modern 209 #17,771
2000 modern 215 #17,388
2001 modern 203 #17,787
2002 modern 203 #18,115
2003 modern 202 #18,032
2004 modern 209 #17,706
2005 modern 186 #18,985
2006 modern 192 #18,753
2007 modern 196 #18,737
2008 modern 194 #19,011
2009 modern 198 #19,145
2010 modern 220 #18,265
2011 modern 226 #17,792
2012 modern 220 #18,034
2013 modern 212 #18,820
2014 modern 226 #18,088
2015 modern 222 #18,225
2016 modern 226 #18,044

Geography

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Where Benners are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, London parishes, Nottingham St Mary, Ilkeston and Pinchbeck, Cowbit. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Gedling and Charnwood. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Nottingham St Mary Nottinghamshire
4 Ilkeston Nottinghamshire
5 Pinchbeck, Cowbit Lincolnshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Gedling 014 Gedling
2 Gedling 011 Gedling
3 Gedling 010 Gedling
4 Gedling 012 Gedling
5 Charnwood 014 Charnwood

Forenames

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First names often paired with Benner

These lists show first names that appear often with the Benner surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Benner

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Benner, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Benner surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Benner household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Benner is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Benner is most concentrated in decile 9 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Benner falls in decile 3 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Benner is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Benner, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Benner

The surname Benner originated in Germany in the 16th century. It is derived from the Middle High German word "benne," which means "border" or "boundary." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near a border or boundary line.

The earliest recorded instances of the Benner surname can be found in church records and tax rolls from various regions of Germany, such as Bavaria and Saxony, dating back to the mid-1500s. Some variations in spelling include Benner, Bener, and Bennert.

In the 17th century, the Benner name appears in several historical documents related to German immigration to North America. One notable example is Johann Philipp Benner, who arrived in Pennsylvania from the Palatinate region of Germany in 1732.

The Benner surname is also associated with several notable figures throughout history. One of the earliest was Martin Benner (1542-1611), a German theologian and Protestant reformer who played a significant role in the development of Lutheran doctrine.

Another prominent individual with the Benner name was Johann Michael Benner (1718-1790), a German-born American clockmaker and millwright who is credited with building some of the earliest clocks and mills in Pennsylvania.

In the 19th century, Johann Benner (1818-1901) was a German-American businessman and philanthropist who founded the Benner Brewing Company in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and contributed significantly to the development of the city.

The Benner name has also been associated with several notable academics and scientists, such as Samuel Benner (1833-1913), an American chemist and educator who served as the first President of Olivet College in Michigan, and Charles Benner (1876-1942), a German-American physicist and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of radio technology.

While the Benner surname may have originated in Germany, it has since spread to various parts of the world through migration and immigration. However, its roots can be traced back to the Middle High German word "benne" and its association with borders and boundaries in the 16th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Benner families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Benner surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lincolnshire leads with 27 Benners recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.24x.

County Total Index
Lincolnshire 27 11.24x
Nottinghamshire 26 12.84x
Middlesex 22 1.46x
Northamptonshire 14 9.91x
Leicestershire 11 6.60x
Lancashire 10 0.56x
Surrey 9 1.23x
Derbyshire 8 3.40x
Yorkshire 8 0.54x
Essex 6 2.02x
Sussex 4 1.58x
Northumberland 3 1.34x
Cambridgeshire 2 2.10x
Midlothian 2 0.99x
Durham 1 0.22x
Stirlingshire 1 1.81x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Pinchbeck in Lincolnshire leads with 20 Benners recorded in 1881 and an index of 1298.70x.

Place Total Index
Pinchbeck 20 1298.70x
Nottingham St Mary 14 26.73x
Rushton 9 3600.00x
Codnor Loscoe 7 376.34x
Friern Barnet 7 211.48x
Atherton 6 92.45x
Leicester St Margaret 6 14.77x
Lenton 6 125.79x
St Clement Danes London 6 192.93x
Steeple Bumpstead 6 1111.11x
Carlton 5 216.45x
Geddington 5 1111.11x
Leicester St Martin 5 446.43x
Manningham 5 27.26x
Farnham 4 70.30x
Holbeach 4 149.81x
Wisborough Green 4 470.59x
Edmonton 3 24.79x
Lambeth 3 2.29x
Whitley 3 416.67x
Bradford 2 5.55x
Camberwell 2 2.08x
Edinburgh Buccleuch 2 42.02x
Shoreditch London 2 3.07x
Spalding 2 41.93x
Spotland 2 10.09x
St Andrewthe Less 2 18.40x
Dalbury With Lees 1 1000.00x
Denny 1 33.90x
Islington London 1 0.69x
Kensington London 1 1.20x
Leeds 1 1.19x
Litherland 1 26.81x
Moulton 1 86.21x
Norton 1 60.98x
Nottingham St Nicholas 1 36.23x
St Marylebone London 1 1.25x
St Pancras London 1 0.83x
Wigan 1 4.01x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Benner surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Benner surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 13
William 13
Arthur 6
Charles 6
George 6
Edwin 2
Frederic 2
Henry 2
Robert 2
Wm.Albert 2
Ben 1
Edward 1
Elam 1
Emanuell 1
Ernest 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Luke 1
Owen 1
Ralph 1
Roger 1
Thomas 1
Wilfred 1
Wright 1

FAQ

Benner surname: questions and answers

How common was the Benner surname in 1881?

In 1881, 155 people were recorded with the Benner surname. That placed it at #15,174 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Benner surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 226 in 2016. That gives Benner a modern rank of #18,044.

What does the Benner surname mean?

A surname of German origin, derived from the Middle High German word "benne," meaning basket or wagon.

What does the Benner map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Benner bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.