NameCensus.

UK surname

Benning

A toponymic surname referring to someone from a place called Benning, derived from a Germanic personal name.

In the 1881 census there were 396 people recorded with the Benning surname, ranking it #8,024 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 776, ranked #7,097, up from #8,024 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Pancras and Missenden, Great. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Gravesham, Peterborough and Dartford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Benning is 831 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 96.0%.

1881 census count

396

Ranked #8,024

Modern count

776

2016, ranked #7,097

Peak year

2010

831 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Benning had 396 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,024 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 776 in 2016, ranked #7,097.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 521 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Suburban Professionals.

Benning surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Benning surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Benning 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 271 #8,257
1861 historical 289 #8,711
1881 historical 396 #8,024
1891 historical 450 #8,074
1901 historical 476 #8,356
1911 historical 521 #7,593
1997 modern 705 #7,207
1998 modern 749 #7,107
1999 modern 767 #7,011
2000 modern 764 #7,006
2001 modern 753 #6,966
2002 modern 763 #7,020
2003 modern 774 #6,840
2004 modern 783 #6,791
2005 modern 745 #7,002
2006 modern 787 #6,715
2007 modern 780 #6,830
2008 modern 790 #6,822
2009 modern 812 #6,801
2010 modern 831 #6,817
2011 modern 823 #6,785
2012 modern 817 #6,724
2013 modern 829 #6,754
2014 modern 807 #6,947
2015 modern 793 #6,987
2016 modern 776 #7,097

Geography

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Where Bennings are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Pancras, Missenden, Great, Wednesbury and Chesham (incl. Chartridge, Billington & Latimers with Waterside. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Gravesham, Peterborough, Dartford, Birmingham and Ealing. 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 London parishes London 3
2 St Pancras London (North Districts)
3 Missenden, Great Buckinghamshire
4 Wednesbury Staffordshire
5 Chesham (incl. Chartridge, Billington & Latimers with Waterside Buckinghamshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Gravesham 002 Gravesham
2 Peterborough 014 Peterborough
3 Dartford 001 Dartford
4 Birmingham 133 Birmingham
5 Ealing 023 Ealing

Forenames

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First names often paired with Benning

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Benning

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

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Suburban Professionals

Nationally, the Benning surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Suburban Professionals, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Benning household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Employment in this Group is typically in managerial and professional occupations, and education to degree level is common. Residents are typically of working age, many of whom identify with an Indian ethnicity. Households are unlikely to be of Mixed or Multiple ethnicities, and English is not the main language used in some households. This Group is found on the outskirts of most conurbations as well as in the suburbs of some free-standing towns.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Young Asian Family Terraces

Within London, Benning is most associated with areas classed as Young Asian Family Terraces, part of Suburban Asian Communities. 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

These households with dependent children typically live in terraced housing and are of (non-Chinese) Asian extraction. Individuals with Bangladeshi origins are particularly in evidence. Employment is often in elementary occupations or as process, plant or machine operatives, and part-time work is common. Students are much in evidence.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Benning 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

Benning 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 Benning 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
Asian - Indian

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

Meaning and origin of Benning

The surname Benning has its origins in England, dating back to the late medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "benn" and "ing," which together roughly translate to "the dweller by the hill or ridge." This suggests that the name initially referred to someone who lived near a prominent hill or ridge.

In its earliest recorded form, the name was spelled "Bennynge," as evidenced by its appearance in the Domesday Book of 1086, a famous survey of land ownership and wealth commissioned by William the Conqueror. This document mentions a landowner named Robertus Bennynge in the county of Essex.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Sir John Benning, a prominent English knight who lived in the 14th century. He is recorded as having participated in the Battle of Crécy during the Hundred Years' War in 1346.

Another notable individual with this surname was William Benning, a merchant and alderman in the City of London in the 16th century. He was born in 1525 and served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1583-1584.

During the English Civil War in the 17th century, Colonel John Benning was a prominent Royalist commander who fought for King Charles I against the Parliamentarians. He was born around 1600 and was killed in action at the Battle of Alresford in 1644.

In the 18th century, Henry Benning was a successful English architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Ironmongers' Hall and the Church of St. Mary Woolnoth. He was born in 1698 and died in 1776.

The surname Benning has also been associated with several place names in England, such as Benning Hill in the county of Suffolk and Benning's Green in the county of Kent. These locations may have derived their names from individuals bearing the Benning surname who lived in or owned land in those areas.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Benning families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Benning 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. Buckinghamshire leads with 121 Bennings recorded in 1881 and an index of 51.42x.

County Total Index
Buckinghamshire 121 51.42x
Middlesex 107 2.75x
Essex 28 3.64x
Berkshire 27 9.24x
Surrey 16 0.84x
Devon 11 1.36x
Hampshire 9 1.13x
Kent 9 0.68x
Midlothian 9 1.73x
Lancashire 8 0.17x
Lanarkshire 7 0.56x
Oxfordshire 7 2.91x
Durham 4 0.35x
Gloucestershire 4 0.52x
Northumberland 4 0.69x
Staffordshire 4 0.30x
Bedfordshire 3 1.49x
Somerset 3 0.48x
Cheshire 2 0.23x
Derbyshire 2 0.33x
Dorset 2 0.78x
Hertfordshire 2 0.75x
Isle of Man 2 2.77x
Leicestershire 2 0.46x
Norfolk 2 0.33x
Glamorgan 1 0.15x
Huntingdonshire 1 1.29x
Lincolnshire 1 0.16x
Yorkshire 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Chesham in Buckinghamshire leads with 49 Bennings recorded in 1881 and an index of 565.17x.

Place Total Index
Chesham 49 565.17x
St Pancras London 22 7.02x
Wendover 17 669.29x
West Ham 14 8.25x
Hackney London 13 5.96x
Halstead 10 111.61x
Wokingham 10 149.93x
Edinburgh Buccleuch 9 72.99x
Bromley London 8 9.34x
Chelsea London 8 6.82x
East Stonehouse 8 50.13x
Banbury 7 145.53x
Great Marlow 7 110.24x
Heaton Norris 7 26.63x
Little Marlow 7 538.46x
St Marylebone London 7 3.37x
Wandsworth 7 18.68x
Bethnal Green London 6 3.55x
Denham 6 357.14x
Ellesborough 6 740.74x
Princes Risborough 6 190.48x
Hurst 5 130.89x
Stanford In Vale 5 431.03x
Uxbridge 5 112.36x
Acton 4 17.53x
Akeley 4 769.23x
Aylesbury 4 38.35x
Chesham Bois 4 851.06x
Chiswick 4 18.81x
Gorbals 4 53.55x
Southampton St Mary 4 7.97x
St Clement Danes London 4 49.63x
Stanstead 4 625.00x
Wednesbury 4 12.18x
Amersham 3 89.82x
Bedminster 3 5.10x
Clerkenwell London 3 3.27x
Gateshead 3 3.46x
Govan 3 0.96x
Islington London 3 0.80x
Portsmouth 3 16.33x
Richmond 3 11.29x
Stoke 3 91.46x
Tynemouth 3 9.67x
Binfield 2 89.29x
Brisley 2 434.78x
Bristol St Paul In 2 9.83x
Dartford 2 14.73x
Derby St Werburgh 2 5.69x
Dunstable 2 32.31x
Great Kimble 2 363.64x
Halling 2 114.94x
Lambeth 2 0.59x
Leicester All Sts 2 23.61x
Longfleet 2 67.57x
Monks Risborough 2 176.99x
New Windsor 2 20.37x
Onchan 2 9.61x
Paddington London 2 1.40x
Sale 2 18.98x
St Andrew Holborn London 2 11.87x
St George Hanover Square 2 2.92x
St George In East London 2 5.46x
St Giles In Fields London 2 10.48x
Stoke Mandeville 2 303.03x
Wilmington 2 108.11x
Ash Next Ridley 1 119.05x
Bristol St James St Paul 1 3.93x
Bristol St Michael 1 15.29x
Ealing 1 2.88x
Great Grimsby 1 2.53x
Hampstead London 1 1.65x
Hampton London 1 15.63x
Newington 1 0.70x
North Meols 1 2.21x
Sandhurst 1 17.67x
Shoreditch London 1 0.59x
Stone 1 54.64x
Westminster St James 1 2.50x
Ystradyfodwg 1 1.68x

Top female names

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

Name Count
George 21
William 18
James 16
Charles 12
John 11
Henry 10
Thomas 8
Frederick 7
Albert 6
Edward 6
Arthur 5
Joseph 5
Alfred 4
Ernest 4
Fredk. 4
Chas. 3
Samuel 3
Walter 3
Daniel 2
Edwin 2
Jesse 2
Job 2
Mark 2
Richard 2
Sidney 2
Andrew 1
Bertie 1
Chas.J. 1
Claud 1
David 1
Earnest 1
Francis 1
Fred. 1
Fredrick 1
Granger 1
Harry 1
Harvey 1
Ivor 1
Jno. 1
Michael 1
Nicholas 1
Oliver 1
Ralph 1
Robert 1
Willie 1
Wm.J. 1

FAQ

Benning surname: questions and answers

How common was the Benning surname in 1881?

In 1881, 396 people were recorded with the Benning surname. That placed it at #8,024 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Benning surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 776 in 2016. That gives Benning a modern rank of #7,097.

What does the Benning surname mean?

A toponymic surname referring to someone from a place called Benning, derived from a Germanic personal name.

What does the Benning map show?

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