NameCensus.

UK surname

Benson

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

In the 1881 census there were 8,106 people recorded with the Benson surname, ranking it #515 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 13,237, ranked #488, up from #515 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Manchester and Liverpool. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Lakeland, Copeland and Allerdale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Benson is 13,427 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 63.3%.

1881 census count

8,106

Ranked #515

Modern count

13,237

2016, ranked #488

Peak year

2014

13,427 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Benson had 8,106 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #515 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 13,237 in 2016, ranked #488.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 10,844 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Benson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Benson surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Benson 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 5,016 #550
1861 historical 5,155 #544
1881 historical 8,106 #515
1891 historical 8,592 #511
1901 historical 10,258 #511
1911 historical 10,844 #454
1997 modern 12,662 #479
1998 modern 13,028 #488
1999 modern 13,156 #484
2000 modern 13,108 #484
2001 modern 12,821 #482
2002 modern 13,097 #482
2003 modern 12,792 #481
2004 modern 12,749 #481
2005 modern 12,517 #486
2006 modern 12,595 #485
2007 modern 12,739 #485
2008 modern 12,772 #489
2009 modern 13,148 #486
2010 modern 13,424 #487
2011 modern 13,207 #487
2012 modern 13,014 #487
2013 modern 13,350 #487
2014 modern 13,427 #486
2015 modern 13,284 #486
2016 modern 13,237 #488

Geography

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Where Bensons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Manchester, Liverpool, Dalton-in-Furness and St Michael-le-Belfry, St Giles. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Lakeland, Copeland, Allerdale and Fylde. 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 Manchester Lancashire
3 Liverpool Lancashire
4 Dalton-in-Furness Lancashire
5 St Michael-le-Belfry, St Giles Yorkshire, East Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Lakeland 013 South Lakeland
2 Copeland 005 Copeland
3 Allerdale 001 Allerdale
4 Copeland 003 Copeland
5 Fylde 002 Fylde

Forenames

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First names often paired with Benson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Benson

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Benson, 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 Benson surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Benson 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, Benson 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

Benson 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

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

Meaning and origin of Benson

The surname Benson has its origins in the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. It is an English patronymic name, derived from the personal name Ben or Benedict, which means "blessed". The name is believed to have originated in the northern counties of England, particularly Yorkshire and Northumberland, during the early medieval period.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Benson can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Bensone". This document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, was a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation in England at the time.

During the 12th and 13th centuries, the name Benson began to appear in various historical records and manuscripts, including the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire and the Hundred Rolls of Northumberland. These records often referred to individuals with the surname Benson as landowners or tenants in their respective regions.

The earliest known bearer of the name Benson was Robert Benson, who lived in Yorkshire during the reign of King Henry II (1154-1189). Another notable figure was Sir John Benson (c. 1350-1428), a prominent English landowner and Member of Parliament for Northumberland during the 15th century.

In the 16th century, the Benson family gained prominence in the city of Leeds, where they were influential merchants and civic leaders. One of the most famous members of this family was Sir Robert Benson (1675-1731), who served as Lord Mayor of York and was instrumental in the establishment of the Yorkshire Philosophical Society.

Other notable individuals with the surname Benson include Edward White Benson (1829-1896), who served as the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1883 to 1896, and Edward Frederic Benson (1867-1940), a renowned English novelist and biographer who wrote several popular works, including the Mapp and Lucia series.

The name Benson has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Benson in Oxfordshire and Bensonhurst in Yorkshire. These place names may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.

In summary, the surname Benson has a rich history rooted in the Anglo-Saxon heritage of northern England. It has been borne by notable figures throughout the centuries, from landowners and politicians to religious leaders and literary figures. The name's origins can be traced back to the early medieval period and have been documented in historical records spanning over a millennium.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Benson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Benson 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 1,980 Bensons recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.52x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 1,980 2.52x
Lancashire 1,894 2.02x
Middlesex 580 0.73x
Surrey 402 1.04x
Cumberland 351 5.15x
Durham 317 1.35x
Warwickshire 204 1.02x
Essex 201 1.29x
Westmorland 194 11.14x
Lanarkshire 181 0.71x
Cheshire 170 0.97x
Lincolnshire 152 1.20x
Staffordshire 139 0.52x
Nottinghamshire 117 1.10x
Kent 115 0.43x
Northumberland 101 0.86x
Glamorgan 71 0.51x
Gloucestershire 64 0.41x
Renfrewshire 63 1.03x
Bedfordshire 61 1.49x
Hampshire 57 0.35x
Midlothian 53 0.50x
Derbyshire 49 0.40x
Sussex 44 0.33x
Northamptonshire 41 0.55x
Leicestershire 40 0.46x
Berkshire 36 0.61x
Shropshire 34 0.50x
Buckinghamshire 31 0.65x
Worcestershire 31 0.30x
Stirlingshire 30 1.03x
Somerset 28 0.22x
Devon 27 0.16x
Cambridgeshire 25 0.50x
Aberdeenshire 22 0.30x
Cornwall 21 0.23x
Isle of Man 19 1.29x
Ayrshire 16 0.27x
Oxfordshire 15 0.31x
Norfolk 13 0.11x
Kirkcudbrightshire 12 1.05x
Angus 11 0.15x
Hertfordshire 11 0.20x
West Lothian 11 0.92x
Carmarthenshire 9 0.27x
Denbighshire 9 0.30x
Monmouthshire 9 0.16x
Anglesey 8 0.57x
Dorset 8 0.15x
Merionethshire 5 0.35x
Wiltshire 5 0.07x
Cardiganshire 4 0.21x
Channel Islands 4 0.17x
Herefordshire 4 0.12x
Huntingdonshire 4 0.25x
Royal Navy 4 0.42x
Suffolk 4 0.04x
Caernarfonshire 2 0.06x
Dumfriesshire 2 0.11x
Dunbartonshire 1 0.05x
Montgomeryshire 1 0.06x
Orkney 1 0.11x
Perthshire 1 0.03x
Rutland 1 0.17x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leeds in Yorkshire leads with 119 Bensons recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.68x.

Place Total Index
Leeds 119 2.68x
Liverpool 93 1.63x
Everton 92 3.07x
West Derby 86 3.13x
Toxteth Park 81 2.55x
Heckmondwike 79 31.29x
Manchester 78 1.85x
Ripon 76 41.74x
Cowling 75 147.38x
St Pancras London 73 1.14x
Dalton In Furness 70 19.29x
Hunslet 64 5.23x
Barrow In Furness 62 4.85x
Bermondsey 59 2.50x
Preston 58 2.31x
Aston 55 1.00x
Nottingham St Mary 54 1.96x
Birmingham 49 0.74x
Southwark St George Martyr 49 3.07x
Islington London 48 0.63x
Sheffield 48 1.92x
Glasgow 45 0.99x
Kirkham 45 36.21x
Ulverston 45 16.44x
Lambeth 44 0.64x
Holy Trinity 43 2.28x
Oldham 43 1.42x
Batley 42 5.63x
Kendal 42 13.18x
Shoreditch London 42 1.22x
Salford 40 1.45x
Battersea 38 1.30x
Aughton 37 39.75x
Coventry Holy Trinity 37 6.20x
Kensington London 37 0.84x
Lancaster 37 6.62x
Whitehaven 37 10.18x
Macclesfield 36 4.63x
Mile End Old Town London 36 2.14x
Govan 35 0.55x
Hackney London 35 0.79x
Aismunderby Cum 34 153.29x
Glencorse 32 78.53x
Habergham Eaves 32 3.72x
Newington 31 1.06x
Troutbeck 31 256.41x
Barony 30 0.46x
Gateshead 30 1.70x
Stockton On Tees 30 2.64x
Tottington Lower End 30 6.72x
Wootton 30 84.72x
Bilton Cum Harrogate 28 10.43x
Grays Thurrock 28 19.27x
Handsworth 28 4.25x
Bishopwearmouth 27 1.33x
Croydon 27 1.26x
Kirkdale 27 1.71x
Knaresborough 27 21.90x
Rettendon 27 138.32x
York St Maurice 27 18.27x
Bradford 26 1.37x
Walton On Hill 26 5.11x
Bethnal Green London 25 0.73x
Pendleton In Salford 25 2.23x
St Marylebone London 25 0.59x
Hulme 24 1.22x
Swansea Town 24 2.12x
Wigan 24 1.83x
Barton Upon Irwell 23 3.25x
Thornhill 23 10.04x
York St Mary 23 7.07x
Ampleforth Birdforth 22 443.55x
Aspull 22 9.95x
Gainsborough 22 7.37x
Hartwith Cum Winsley 22 76.47x
Holbeck 22 4.23x
Pudsey 22 5.24x
Portsea 21 0.66x
Sculcoates 21 1.69x
Strathblane 21 57.58x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 536
Elizabeth 333
Sarah 309
Jane 175
Margaret 150
Ann 136
Ellen 120
Alice 109
Annie 108
Hannah 98
Eliza 87
Emma 76
Emily 74
Martha 71
Edith 54
Isabella 49
Agnes 43
Catherine 43
Ada 41
Harriet 38
Florence 37
Louisa 37
Clara 36
Eleanor 33
Fanny 33
Frances 31
Lucy 29
Anne 28
Kate 26
Charlotte 25
Maria 25
Caroline 24
Jessie 21
Amy 20
Esther 20
Grace 18
Rebecca 18
Susan 18
Harriett 17
Matilda 17
Rose 17
Dorothy 16
Amelia 15
Sophia 14
Margt. 13
Elizth. 12
Lizzie 12
Maud 12
Bertha 11
Gertrude 11

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 524
John 518
Thomas 303
James 247
George 236
Joseph 159
Henry 133
Robert 120
Charles 112
Arthur 89
Richard 80
Edward 60
Frederick 58
Alfred 54
Albert 49
Walter 48
Harry 44
Samuel 42
Fred 31
Wm. 29
Ernest 27
Frank 27
Christopher 26
Herbert 26
Tom 26
Francis 24
Isaac 24
David 23
Edwin 21
Michael 18
Benjamin 15
Thos. 15
Daniel 14
Jonathan 14
Ralph 14
Anthony 13
Peter 13
Geo. 12
Mark 12
Matthew 10
Andrew 8
Fredrick 8
Patrick 8
Percy 8
Abraham 7
Fredk. 7
Hugh 7
Oliver 7
Robt. 7
Smith 7

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 Benson households.

FAQ

Benson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Benson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 8,106 people were recorded with the Benson surname. That placed it at #515 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Benson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 13,237 in 2016. That gives Benson a modern rank of #488.

What does the Benson surname mean?

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

What does the Benson map show?

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