NameCensus.

UK surname

Bennison

An English surname derived from Ben's son, meaning "son of Ben."

In the 1881 census there were 840 people recorded with the Bennison surname, ranking it #4,490 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,516, ranked #4,080, up from #4,490 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Prestbury, Stockport and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Redcar and Cleveland, Hambleton and Staffordshire Moorlands.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bennison is 1,576 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 80.5%.

1881 census count

840

Ranked #4,490

Modern count

1,516

2016, ranked #4,080

Peak year

2010

1,576 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bennison had 840 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,490 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,516 in 2016, ranked #4,080.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,450 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Bennison surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bennison surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bennison 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 573 #4,441
1861 historical 564 #4,667
1881 historical 840 #4,490
1891 historical 984 #4,201
1901 historical 1,291 #3,857
1911 historical 1,450 #3,331
1997 modern 1,480 #3,952
1998 modern 1,530 #3,983
1999 modern 1,541 #3,986
2000 modern 1,545 #3,961
2001 modern 1,501 #3,983
2002 modern 1,560 #3,949
2003 modern 1,555 #3,872
2004 modern 1,557 #3,870
2005 modern 1,546 #3,850
2006 modern 1,524 #3,908
2007 modern 1,524 #3,935
2008 modern 1,519 #3,973
2009 modern 1,546 #4,006
2010 modern 1,576 #4,009
2011 modern 1,560 #4,007
2012 modern 1,507 #4,066
2013 modern 1,533 #4,073
2014 modern 1,544 #4,075
2015 modern 1,534 #4,052
2016 modern 1,516 #4,080

Geography

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Where Bennisons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Prestbury, Stockport, London parishes, Chorley and Hartlepool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Redcar and Cleveland, Hambleton and Staffordshire Moorlands. 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 Prestbury Cheshire
2 Stockport Cheshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Chorley Lancashire
5 Hartlepool Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Redcar and Cleveland 012 Redcar and Cleveland
2 Hambleton 001 Hambleton
3 Redcar and Cleveland 016 Redcar and Cleveland
4 Staffordshire Moorlands 012 Staffordshire Moorlands
5 Redcar and Cleveland 018 Redcar and Cleveland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bennison

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bennison

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Bennison is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Bennison is most concentrated in decile 4 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Bennison 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 Bennison 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 Bennison, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Bennison

The surname Bennison is of English origin and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is a locational surname derived from the Old English words "benn" meaning "bean" and "tun" meaning "enclosure" or "settlement." This suggests that the name originated from a settlement where beans were grown or stored.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire in 1273, where it is listed as "Benyngton." This is likely a reference to the village of Bennington, which was once known as Benyngton. The spelling of the name evolved over time, with variants such as Benynton, Bennytoun, and Bennison.

The Bennison surname has a strong connection to the county of Suffolk, where the village of Bennington is located. Records from the 16th century show several Bennison families residing in this area, suggesting that the name may have originated from this region.

In the 14th century, a John de Bennynton is mentioned in the Feet of Fines for Essex, indicating the presence of the name in that county as well. The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the name Bennison or its variants, but it does mention the village of Bennington in Suffolk.

Notable individuals with the surname Bennison throughout history include:

1. Robert Bennison (1517-1584), an English clergyman who served as the Archdeacon of Winchester from 1577 until his death. 2. Thomas Bennison (1635-1699), an English Puritan minister and author who wrote several influential religious works. 3. John Bennison (1770-1843), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars. 4. Mary Bennison (1858-1935), an American philanthropist and social reformer who founded the House of Mercy in New York City. 5. Charles Bennison (1856-1929), an English painter and illustrator known for his landscape and maritime scenes.

While the surname Bennison has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and Australia, as people migrated from their ancestral homeland.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bennison families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bennison 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. Yorkshire leads with 218 Bennisons recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.68x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 218 2.68x
Lancashire 215 2.21x
Cheshire 127 7.00x
Durham 75 3.07x
Staffordshire 70 2.52x
Derbyshire 23 1.79x
Middlesex 23 0.28x
Surrey 18 0.45x
Hampshire 8 0.48x
Bedfordshire 7 1.65x
Devon 7 0.41x
Lincolnshire 7 0.53x
Cardiganshire 5 2.50x
Flintshire 4 1.81x
Aberdeenshire 3 0.39x
Nottinghamshire 3 0.27x
Cumberland 2 0.28x
Essex 2 0.12x
Gloucestershire 2 0.12x
Kent 2 0.07x
Lanarkshire 2 0.08x
Midlothian 2 0.18x
Northamptonshire 2 0.26x
Royal Navy 2 2.04x
Worcestershire 2 0.19x
Angus 1 0.13x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.19x
Channel Islands 1 0.41x
Dunbartonshire 1 0.45x
Hertfordshire 1 0.18x
Northumberland 1 0.08x
Somerset 1 0.08x
Stirlingshire 1 0.33x
Sussex 1 0.07x
Warwickshire 1 0.05x
Wiltshire 1 0.14x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Macclesfield in Cheshire leads with 42 Bennisons recorded in 1881 and an index of 52.12x.

Place Total Index
Macclesfield 42 52.12x
Ashton Under Lyne 33 15.49x
Wigan 23 16.89x
Darlington 18 19.08x
Stoke Upon Trent 17 5.78x
Chorley 16 29.26x
Danby 16 486.32x
Walton Le Dale 16 61.09x
Werneth 16 281.69x
Bosden 15 269.78x
Hinderwell 14 201.44x
Hyde 12 22.43x
Burslem 11 13.85x
Easington In Guisbrough 11 607.73x
Great Ayton 11 220.88x
Kirkleatham 10 90.99x
Rainhill 9 144.23x
Sculcoates 9 6.97x
Stokesley 9 177.51x
Cheadle 8 23.10x
Conside Knitsley 8 42.11x
Halliwell 8 22.55x
Lambeth 8 1.12x
Manchester 8 1.83x
Scorton 8 695.65x
Toxteth Park 8 2.42x
Tudhoe 8 37.42x
Chester Holy Trinity 7 82.35x
Grantham 7 40.89x
Hartlepool 7 20.16x
Leek Lowe 7 18.98x
Newcastle Under Lyme 7 14.27x
Old Warden 7 503.60x
Over Darwen 7 8.99x
Portsea 7 2.12x
Ruswarp 7 77.35x
Stockton On Tees 7 5.94x
Tavistock 7 35.93x
Blackburn 6 2.31x
Broughton In Salford 6 6.73x
Catterick 6 327.87x
Chelsea London 6 2.42x
Crathorne 6 833.33x
Dukinfield 6 7.16x
Egton 6 168.07x
Ilkeston 6 16.64x
Ipstones 6 150.75x
Moss Side 6 11.70x
North Cowton 6 750.00x
Radcliffe 6 12.77x
Runcorn 6 14.35x
Staveley 6 26.28x
Willington 6 42.49x
Aberystwith 5 28.99x
Biddulph 5 31.97x
Bramhall 5 66.58x
Brightside Bierlow 5 3.13x
Checkley 5 69.44x
Escomb 5 44.52x
Liverpool 5 0.84x
Newchurch 5 6.27x
Offcote Underwood 5 373.13x
Oswaldtwistle 5 14.52x
Skeeby 5 1111.11x
Southwark St John 5 19.90x
Tottington Lower End 5 10.80x
Whitby 5 18.23x
Wold Newton 5 568.18x
Wolstanton Knutton 5 29.53x
Bridlington 4 21.47x
Castleford 4 13.50x
Faceby 4 816.33x
Great Ribston Cum 4 740.74x
Hawsker Cum Stainsacre 4 148.15x
Heeley 4 16.17x
Holywell 4 14.43x
Litchurch 4 7.73x
Middlestone 4 81.63x
Skelton In Guisbrough 4 18.17x
West Derby 4 1.40x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 66
Elizabeth 46
Sarah 29
Jane 25
Hannah 20
Ann 19
Margaret 15
Annie 13
Eliza 12
Alice 8
Ellen 8
Maria 8
Emma 7
Isabella 7
Emily 6
Frances 5
Harriet 5
Lucy 5
Esther 4
Harriett 4
Martha 4
Catherine 3
Fanny 3
Nancy 3
Amelia 2
Beatrice 2
Bertha 2
Betsy 2
Bridget 2
Charlotte 2
Eleanor 2
Elizth. 2
Florence 2
Gertrude 2
Julia 2
Margret 2
Marther 2
Maud 2
Rebecca 2
Susannah 2
Betty 1
Caroline 1
Edna 1
Eliz. 1
Isabel 1
J. 1
Jerrima 1
Jessie 1
Jours 1
Theodosia 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 64
John 63
George 32
Thomas 32
James 28
Joseph 25
Samuel 18
Robert 15
Henry 13
Richard 11
Benjamin 10
Charles 6
Alfred 5
Philip 5
Walter 5
David 4
Ernest 4
Frank 4
Arthur 3
Leonard 3
Peter 3
Wilson 3
Albert 2
Elias 2
Fred 2
Frederick 2
Geo. 2
Ralph 2
Saml. 2
Shadrach 2
Stephen 2
Wm. 2
Ben 1
Cristopher 1
Cyrus 1
Earnest 1
Emmanuel 1
F.D. 1
Francis 1
Fred.Hy. 1
Fredk. 1
Josephus 1
Josh. 1
Josiah 1
Luke 1
Marmaduke 1
Michael 1
Oswald 1
Percy 1
Zacariah 1

FAQ

Bennison surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bennison surname in 1881?

In 1881, 840 people were recorded with the Bennison surname. That placed it at #4,490 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bennison surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,516 in 2016. That gives Bennison a modern rank of #4,080.

What does the Bennison surname mean?

An English surname derived from Ben's son, meaning "son of Ben."

What does the Bennison map show?

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