NameCensus.

UK surname

Bennet

A patronymic surname derived from the medieval personal name Benedict, meaning "blessed."

In the 1881 census there were 4,159 people recorded with the Bennet surname, ranking it #1,086 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,176, ranked #5,050, down from #1,086 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Kelso, London parishes and Govan Combination. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Aylesbury Vale, Leeds and Helensburgh East.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bennet is 5,019 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 71.7%.

1881 census count

4,159

Ranked #1,086

Modern count

1,176

2016, ranked #5,050

Peak year

1851

5,019 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bennet had 4,159 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,086 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,176 in 2016, ranked #5,050.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 5,019 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Bennet surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bennet surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Bennet 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 5,019 #549
1861 historical 4,383 #649
1881 historical 4,159 #1,086
1891 historical 3,400 #1,402
1901 historical 2,817 #1,976
1911 historical 1,201 #3,913
1997 modern 1,050 #5,269
1998 modern 1,010 #5,635
1999 modern 1,014 #5,653
2000 modern 994 #5,718
2001 modern 949 #5,824
2002 modern 988 #5,755
2003 modern 931 #5,929
2004 modern 914 #6,014
2005 modern 939 #5,833
2006 modern 926 #5,904
2007 modern 965 #5,779
2008 modern 1,002 #5,644
2009 modern 1,053 #5,537
2010 modern 1,076 #5,534
2011 modern 1,069 #5,504
2012 modern 1,086 #5,348
2013 modern 1,116 #5,310
2014 modern 1,158 #5,171
2015 modern 1,155 #5,133
2016 modern 1,176 #5,050

Geography

Back to top

Where Bennets are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Kelso, London parishes, Govan Combination and Edinburgh. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Aylesbury Vale, Leeds, Helensburgh East, The Grange and Watford. 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 Kelso Roxburgh
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Govan Combination Lanark
5 Edinburgh Edinburgh

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Aylesbury Vale 017 Aylesbury Vale
2 Leeds 110 Leeds
3 Helensburgh East Argyll and Bute
4 The Grange City of Edinburgh
5 Watford 012 Watford

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Bennet

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Bennet

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Bennet, 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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Bennet surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Bennet household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Bennet is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Bennet is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Bennet falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Bennet is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Bennet

The surname Bennet is of Old French origin, derived from the personal name Benedict, which itself comes from the Latin "Benedictus" meaning "blessed". It is believed to have been introduced to England by Norman settlers after the conquest of 1066.

The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the late 12th century, appearing in various forms such as Benet, Benett, and Benet. One of the earliest known references is found in the Pipe Rolls of Warwickshire from 1195, where a William Benet is mentioned.

During the Middle Ages, the name was particularly prevalent in the counties of Warwickshire, Gloucestershire, and Oxfordshire. This is likely due to its Norman origins, as these areas were heavily influenced by the Norman aristocracy.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a survey of landowners commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are no direct mentions of the Bennet surname. However, there are references to landholders with the given name Benedict, suggesting that the surname may have derived from some of these individuals.

One notable early bearer of the Bennet name was Sir William Bennet, who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1408. Another was Thomas Bennet, a 16th-century English composer and organist who served at Christ Church Cathedral in Oxford.

In the 17th century, the Bennet family played a significant role in the English Civil War. Sir John Bennet (1598-1682) was a staunch Royalist and served as a military commander under King Charles I. His son, Henry Bennet (1618-1685), was a prominent politician and diplomat who served as Secretary of State under Charles II.

The 18th century saw the rise of the celebrated playwright and author, Anna Laetitia Barbauld (née Aikin), who was born in 1743 and married Rochemont Barbauld, taking his surname. Her works, such as "Poems" and "Evenings at Home", were widely acclaimed during her lifetime.

In the 19th century, James Gordon Bennet (1795-1872) was a prominent American journalist and publisher who founded the New York Herald newspaper. His son, James Gordon Bennet Jr. (1841-1918), also made a name for himself as a newspaper publisher and explorer.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Bennet families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bennet 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. Middlesex leads with 401 Bennets recorded in 1881 and an index of 0.99x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 401 0.99x
Lancashire 331 0.69x
Lanarkshire 284 2.18x
Yorkshire 284 0.71x
Midlothian 268 4.96x
Angus 195 5.22x
Surrey 151 0.77x
Durham 147 1.23x
Fife 119 4.98x
Staffordshire 105 0.77x
Kent 100 0.73x
Cheshire 82 0.92x
Glamorgan 82 1.17x
Devon 73 0.87x
Aberdeenshire 69 1.85x
Hampshire 67 0.81x
Roxburghshire 63 8.62x
Worcestershire 62 1.18x
Stirlingshire 61 4.10x
Warwickshire 58 0.57x
Monmouthshire 56 1.92x
Perthshire 55 3.04x
Derbyshire 49 0.78x
West Lothian 49 8.07x
Gloucestershire 45 0.57x
Banffshire 40 4.78x
Northumberland 40 0.67x
Selkirkshire 38 10.41x
Sussex 38 0.56x
Cornwall 35 0.77x
Renfrewshire 35 1.12x
Somerset 35 0.54x
Ayrshire 34 1.13x
Nottinghamshire 34 0.63x
Cumberland 33 0.95x
Dumfriesshire 33 3.70x
Suffolk 33 0.67x
Kirkcudbrightshire 32 5.48x
Essex 28 0.35x
Hertfordshire 28 1.01x
Kinross-shire 26 25.50x
Montgomeryshire 25 2.70x
Norfolk 24 0.39x
Clackmannanshire 18 5.40x
Berwickshire 17 3.48x
Dorset 17 0.64x
Lincolnshire 17 0.26x
Cambridgeshire 16 0.63x
Radnorshire 16 4.92x
East Lothian 15 2.81x
Leicestershire 15 0.34x
Shropshire 15 0.43x
Brecknockshire 14 1.74x
Herefordshire 13 0.79x
Bedfordshire 11 0.53x
Wiltshire 11 0.31x
Buckinghamshire 10 0.41x
Dunbartonshire 10 0.92x
Oxfordshire 10 0.40x
Morayshire 8 1.28x
Peeblesshire 8 4.22x
Berkshire 7 0.23x
Carmarthenshire 7 0.41x
Flintshire 7 0.65x
Cardiganshire 3 0.30x
Anglesey 2 0.28x
Argyllshire 2 0.18x
Buteshire 2 0.82x
Channel Islands 2 0.17x
Northamptonshire 2 0.05x
Pembrokeshire 2 0.16x
Ross-shire 2 0.18x
Royal Navy 2 0.42x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.06x
Denbighshire 1 0.07x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.12x
Inverness-shire 1 0.08x
Rutland 1 0.34x
Westmorland 1 0.11x
Wigtownshire 1 0.19x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Edinburgh St Cuthberts in Midlothian leads with 109 Bennets recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.01x.

Place Total Index
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 109 5.01x
Dundee 83 5.95x
Govan 78 2.42x
Barony 66 2.00x
Lambeth 61 1.73x
South Leith 41 6.74x
Kelso 40 54.94x
Dunfermline 36 9.80x
Bothwell 35 9.89x
Hackney London 31 1.37x
Temple 28 130.35x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 27 3.86x
Islington London 27 0.69x
Lanark 27 25.72x
Wrotham 27 59.22x
Kinross 26 74.37x
Glasgow 24 1.04x
Liff Benvie 24 4.23x
St Marylebone London 24 1.11x
Bathgate 22 16.68x
Sheffield 22 1.73x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 21 4.04x
Melrose 21 22.86x
Tonbridge 21 4.23x
Liverpool 20 0.69x
Paddington London 20 1.35x
Dudley 19 2.97x
Forfar 19 9.39x
Limehouse London 19 4.29x
Clerkenwell London 18 1.89x
St Luke London 18 2.78x
St Pancras London 18 0.55x
Toxteth Park 18 1.11x
Castleford 17 11.68x
Ealing 17 4.72x
Gateshead 17 1.89x
Leeds 17 0.75x
Mile End Old Town London 17 1.98x
Llanrhidian Higher 16 35.87x
Christchurch 15 16.63x
Falkirk 15 4.31x
Kensington London 15 0.67x
Manchester 15 0.70x
Marston Montgomery 15 283.02x
Alloa 14 8.67x
Bethnal Green London 14 0.80x
Birmingham 14 0.41x
Bishopwearmouth 14 1.36x
Horton In Bradford 14 2.24x
Old Monkland 14 2.70x
Shoreditch London 14 0.80x
St George Hanover Square 14 1.97x
Wolstanton 14 3.39x
Aston 13 0.46x
Keith 13 14.57x
Liberton 13 15.59x
Morton 13 43.95x
Portskewett 13 191.74x
Spotland 13 2.44x
Wigan 13 1.94x
Worsbrough 13 11.10x
Abbey 12 2.52x
Bermondsey 12 1.00x
Everton 12 0.79x
Galashiels 12 8.89x
Inveresk 12 8.20x
Ripley 12 15.37x
West Derby 12 0.86x
Wolverhampton 12 1.15x
Blantyre 11 8.10x
Borthwick 11 45.55x
Cullen 11 35.47x
Edmonton 11 3.38x
Hetton Le Hole 11 7.23x
Houghton Le Spring 11 13.26x
Kingswinford 11 2.23x
Merthyr Tydfil 11 1.63x
Pennington In Leigh 11 11.98x
St George In East London 11 2.90x
Nether Hallam 10 1.85x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 181
Elizabeth 115
Sarah 91
Jane 72
Ann 54
Eliza 50
Annie 42
Emma 41
Margaret 37
Alice 35
Martha 28
Ellen 23
Hannah 23
Harriet 23
Emily 21
Louisa 18
Florence 17
Maria 17
Fanny 16
Ada 14
Clara 14
Anne 13
Charlotte 12
Susan 12
Agnes 11
Frances 11
Catherine 10
Rebecca 9
Isabella 8
Rose 8
Amelia 7
Bessie 7
Edith 7
Kate 7
Matilda 7
Amy 6
Elizth. 6
Lucy 6
Cathrine 5
Esther 5
Julia 5
Margret 5
Rachel 5
Selina 5
Sophia 5
Beatrice 4
Caroline 4
Harriett 4
Ida 4
Lilly 4

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 173
John 170
George 90
Thomas 89
James 82
Henry 58
Charles 55
Joseph 52
Edward 37
Samuel 37
Robert 36
Richard 27
Alfred 20
Frederick 20
Herbert 17
Walter 16
Arthur 13
Albert 12
David 12
Harry 12
Benjamin 9
Edwin 9
Isaac 8
Thos. 7
Fredrick 6
Geo. 6
Matthew 6
Francis 5
Frank 5
Ralph 5
Wm. 5
Cornelius 4
Enoch 4
Ernest 4
Fredk. 4
Charley 3
Chas. 3
Daniel 3
Fred 3
J. 3
Jas. 3
Josiah 3
Patrick 3
Timothy 3
Andrew 2
Mary 2
Mathew 2
Michael 2
Phillip 2
Saml. 2

FAQ

Bennet surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bennet surname in 1881?

In 1881, 4,159 people were recorded with the Bennet surname. That placed it at #1,086 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bennet surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,176 in 2016. That gives Bennet a modern rank of #5,050.

What does the Bennet surname mean?

A patronymic surname derived from the medieval personal name Benedict, meaning "blessed."

What does the Bennet map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Bennet 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.