NameCensus.

UK surname

Bennett

An English surname derived from the medieval male given name Benedict, meaning "blessed."

In the 1881 census there were 49,110 people recorded with the Bennett surname, ranking it #59 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 74,621, ranked #55, up from #59 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Plymouth St Andrew (incl. Eddystone Lighthouse in 1841). In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Blaenau Gwent, Shropshire and Cornwall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bennett is 77,953 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 51.9%.

1881 census count

49,110

Ranked #59

Modern count

74,621

2016, ranked #55

Peak year

1999

77,953 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bennett had 49,110 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #59 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 74,621 in 2016, ranked #55.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 67,778 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Bennett surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bennett surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bennett 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 28,974 #65
1861 historical 28,439 #71
1881 historical 49,110 #59
1891 historical 51,867 #60
1901 historical 64,254 #53
1911 historical 67,778 #48
1997 modern 74,098 #51
1998 modern 77,327 #51
1999 modern 77,953 #51
2000 modern 77,357 #51
2001 modern 75,491 #51
2002 modern 77,038 #51
2003 modern 74,961 #52
2004 modern 74,738 #52
2005 modern 73,420 #52
2006 modern 73,330 #53
2007 modern 73,703 #53
2008 modern 74,066 #53
2009 modern 75,873 #53
2010 modern 77,178 #55
2011 modern 76,183 #54
2012 modern 74,372 #55
2013 modern 75,730 #55
2014 modern 75,910 #55
2015 modern 74,958 #55
2016 modern 74,621 #55

Geography

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Where Bennetts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, Plymouth St Andrew (incl. Eddystone Lighthouse in 1841) and Lambeth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Blaenau Gwent, Shropshire, Cornwall and Flintshire. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 Plymouth St Andrew (incl. Eddystone Lighthouse in 1841) Devon
4 London parishes London 3
5 Lambeth London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Blaenau Gwent 005 Blaenau Gwent
2 Shropshire 005 Shropshire
3 Cornwall 008 Cornwall
4 Blaenau Gwent 003 Blaenau Gwent
5 Flintshire 007 Flintshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bennett

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bennett

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

Rural Amenity

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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, Bennett 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

Bennett is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Bennett falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Bennett 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 Bennett, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Bennett

The surname Bennett has its origins in England, where it first emerged in the late 11th century. The name is derived from the Old French word 'benet' or 'benet', which means 'blessed' or 'consecrated'. This was a nickname given to someone who was considered particularly pious or devout.

The earliest recorded use of the name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as 'Benet'. This was a record of landowners commissioned by William the Conqueror after the Norman conquest of England. The name was initially more common in the southern counties of England, particularly in Wiltshire and Hampshire.

By the 13th century, the name had evolved to its more modern spelling of 'Bennett'. This was likely due to the influence of Norman French, which was still widely spoken by the ruling classes at the time. The name was also found in various places names, such as Bennett's End in Hertfordshire and Bennett Street in London.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Robert Bennett, a prominent member of the Merchant Taylors' Company in London in the 15th century. Another notable figure was John Bennett, who was appointed Bishop of Hereford in 1535 and played a role in the English Reformation under Henry VIII.

During the English Civil War in the 17th century, there were several notable figures with the surname Bennett. These included Richard Bennett, who served as a colonel in the Parliamentarian army, and Robert Bennett, a Royalist governor of Virginia. Another prominent figure from this period was Henry Bennett, 1st Earl of Arlington, who served as a statesman and diplomat under Charles II.

In literature, one of the most famous bearers of the name was Arnold Bennett, a novelist and playwright born in 1867. He is best known for his novels set in the Potteries district of Staffordshire, including 'The Old Wives' Tale' and the 'Clayhanger' trilogy.

Other notable individuals with the surname Bennett include James Gordon Bennett Jr., the founder of the New York Herald newspaper in the 19th century, and Tony Bennett, the celebrated American singer born in 1926.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bennett families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bennett 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. Lancashire leads with 5,308 Bennetts recorded in 1881 and an index of 0.93x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 5,308 0.93x
Middlesex 5,107 1.06x
Yorkshire 3,503 0.74x
Surrey 2,887 1.23x
Staffordshire 2,630 1.62x
Cheshire 2,230 2.10x
Gloucestershire 2,120 2.25x
Derbyshire 1,937 2.58x
Kent 1,881 1.15x
Warwickshire 1,832 1.51x
Devon 1,652 1.65x
Cornwall 1,276 2.35x
Hampshire 1,264 1.28x
Sussex 1,155 1.43x
Somerset 1,126 1.46x
Worcestershire 1,085 1.73x
Leicestershire 914 1.72x
Essex 767 0.81x
Durham 684 0.48x
Nottinghamshire 633 0.98x
Shropshire 628 1.51x
Glamorgan 611 0.73x
Norfolk 544 0.74x
Oxfordshire 520 1.75x
Suffolk 519 0.89x
Wiltshire 500 1.18x
Lincolnshire 458 0.60x
Dorset 452 1.43x
Berkshire 426 1.18x
Lanarkshire 399 0.26x
Northamptonshire 316 0.70x
Hertfordshire 315 0.95x
Buckinghamshire 313 1.08x
Northumberland 256 0.36x
Monmouthshire 255 0.73x
Montgomeryshire 242 2.20x
Bedfordshire 229 0.92x
Flintshire 219 1.70x
Herefordshire 205 1.04x
Cumberland 190 0.46x
Cambridgeshire 132 0.43x
Midlothian 128 0.20x
Carmarthenshire 83 0.41x
Pembrokeshire 81 0.53x
Westmorland 77 0.73x
Royal Navy 76 1.33x
Angus 72 0.16x
Renfrewshire 66 0.18x
Huntingdonshire 65 0.68x
Fife 62 0.22x
Channel Islands 61 0.43x
Rutland 59 1.67x
Stirlingshire 58 0.33x
Banffshire 56 0.56x
Ayrshire 53 0.15x
Perthshire 46 0.21x
Brecknockshire 44 0.46x
Denbighshire 41 0.23x
Kirkcudbrightshire 40 0.58x
Dunbartonshire 36 0.28x
Radnorshire 34 0.88x
Clackmannanshire 32 0.81x
Aberdeenshire 26 0.06x
West Lothian 24 0.33x
Selkirkshire 23 0.53x
Morayshire 21 0.28x
Roxburghshire 21 0.24x
Merionethshire 16 0.18x
Cardiganshire 15 0.13x
Isle of Man 15 0.17x
Anglesey 13 0.15x
Caernarfonshire 12 0.06x
Kinross-shire 10 0.82x
Wigtownshire 10 0.16x
Kincardineshire 8 0.14x
Argyllshire 6 0.04x
Berwickshire 3 0.05x
Dumfriesshire 3 0.03x
Ross-shire 1 0.01x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 616 Bennetts recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.53x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 616 1.53x
Islington London 516 1.11x
Lambeth 501 1.20x
Aston 483 1.45x
St Pancras London 394 1.02x
Hackney London 354 1.32x
Camberwell 337 1.10x
Kensington London 323 1.21x
Stoke Upon Trent 303 1.76x
Sedgley 268 4.45x
Portsea 266 1.38x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 262 2.96x
Liverpool 261 0.75x
Shoreditch London 251 1.21x
St Marylebone London 250 0.98x
West Ham 238 1.14x
Preston 231 1.52x
Battersea 228 1.29x
Plymouth St Andrew 228 2.96x
Croydon 226 1.74x
Brighton 220 1.35x
Birkenhead 218 2.58x
Bethnal Green London 217 1.04x
Wolverhampton 207 1.66x
Ashton Under Lyne 206 1.65x
Newington 200 1.13x
Bermondsey 192 1.34x
Leicester St Margaret 188 1.45x
Manchester 187 0.73x
Stoke Damerel 181 2.59x
Glossop Dale 177 5.03x
Southwark St George Martyr 169 1.75x
Rowley Regis 168 3.72x
Leeds 166 0.62x
Paddington London 164 0.93x
Brightside Bierlow 160 1.71x
Mile End Old Town London 159 1.56x
St George Hanover Square 159 1.88x
Hulme 145 1.22x
Burslem 144 3.10x
Chelsea London 141 0.97x
Nottingham St Mary 140 0.84x
Chorlton On Medlock 139 1.54x
Ecclesall Bierlow 139 1.44x
Kidderminster Borough 138 3.76x
Sheffield 138 0.91x
Mangotsfield 137 14.60x
Derby St Werburgh 135 3.11x
Everton 135 0.74x
West Derby 135 0.81x
Wolstanton 135 2.74x
Bedminster 132 1.82x
Toxteth Park 132 0.68x
Dronfield 131 13.60x
Deptford St Paul 130 1.03x
Dudley 129 1.69x
Tonbridge 129 2.18x
Bristol St George 128 2.94x
Wigan 126 1.58x
Barony 124 0.32x
Salford 122 0.73x
Oldham 118 0.64x
Ardwick 117 2.28x
Hartington Upper 116 32.35x
Clerkenwell London 113 1.00x
Plymouth Charles The 111 2.52x
Warrington 111 1.64x
Horton In Bradford 109 1.47x
Little Bolton 109 1.49x
Stockport 109 2.00x
Kingswinford 107 1.82x
Hyde 105 3.36x
Govan 102 0.27x
Leyland 102 10.29x
Clapham 99 1.65x
Dukinfield 99 2.02x
Poplar London 99 1.09x
Barton Upon Irwell 98 2.28x
Bramhall 97 22.10x
Heaton Norris 97 2.99x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 3,221
Elizabeth 1,965
Sarah 1,805
Ann 900
Jane 834
Eliza 805
Emma 739
Alice 733
Ellen 714
Annie 642
Emily 580
Hannah 554
Martha 505
Margaret 341
Florence 314
Edith 308
Louisa 308
Maria 305
Harriet 304
Caroline 285
Charlotte 283
Fanny 271
Clara 260
Ada 259
Kate 223
Harriett 211
Catherine 204
Lucy 189
Frances 174
Anne 172
Agnes 164
Amelia 158
Susan 158
Esther 150
Rose 148
Matilda 115
Rebecca 105
Elizth. 102
Jessie 102
Isabella 100
Julia 96
Minnie 92
Selina 86
Sophia 86
Gertrude 83
Susannah 80
Ethel 78
Amy 75
Lydia 71
Rosa 71

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 3,109
John 2,866
George 1,689
Thomas 1,589
James 1,473
Henry 1,050
Charles 982
Joseph 917
Samuel 539
Edward 515
Alfred 514
Arthur 484
Robert 445
Richard 442
Frederick 418
Walter 359
Albert 341
Harry 301
Frank 220
Edwin 187
Ernest 182
Benjamin 180
David 162
Herbert 152
Francis 142
Wm. 128
Isaac 106
Stephen 102
Thos. 91
Fred 79
Daniel 77
Geo. 73
Tom 72
Peter 63
Sidney 59
Matthew 55
Willm. 50
Edmund 49
Abraham 47
Fredk. 47
Chas. 45
Percy 44
Fredrick 42
Mark 42
Alexander 36
Joshua 36
Jesse 35
Josiah 34
Hugh 33
Sydney 30

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Bennett households.

FAQ

Bennett surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bennett surname in 1881?

In 1881, 49,110 people were recorded with the Bennett surname. That placed it at #59 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bennett surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 74,621 in 2016. That gives Bennett a modern rank of #55.

What does the Bennett surname mean?

An English surname derived from the medieval male given name Benedict, meaning "blessed."

What does the Bennett map show?

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