NameCensus.

UK surname

Benzies

In the 1881 census there were 116 people recorded with the Benzies surname, ranking it #18,126 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 129, ranked #26,270, down from #18,126 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Edinburgh and Aberdeen and Old Machar. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Coupar Angus and Meigle, Stockton-on-Tees and Northumberland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Benzies is 141 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 11.2%.

1881 census count

116

Ranked #18,126

Modern count

129

2016, ranked #26,270

Peak year

1901

141 bearers

Map years

6

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Benzies had 116 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,126 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 129 in 2016, ranked #26,270.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 141 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Benzies surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Benzies surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Benzies 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 54 #23,577
1861 historical 52 #27,369
1881 historical 116 #18,126
1891 historical 122 #21,053
1901 historical 141 #18,718
1911 historical 31 #29,952
1997 modern 128 #23,238
1998 modern 137 #22,922
1999 modern 139 #22,884
2000 modern 130 #23,785
2001 modern 133 #23,132
2002 modern 130 #23,903
2003 modern 124 #24,378
2004 modern 127 #24,224
2005 modern 124 #24,529
2006 modern 124 #24,750
2007 modern 133 #24,059
2008 modern 130 #24,695
2009 modern 136 #24,485
2010 modern 130 #25,775
2011 modern 125 #26,220
2012 modern 122 #26,696
2013 modern 125 #26,695
2014 modern 133 #25,851
2015 modern 133 #25,729
2016 modern 129 #26,270

Geography

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Where Benzies' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Old Machar, Huntly and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Coupar Angus and Meigle, Stockton-on-Tees, Northumberland, Torry West and Dover. 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 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Aberdeen and Old Machar Aberdeen
4 Huntly Aberdeen
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Coupar Angus and Meigle Perth and Kinross
2 Stockton-on-Tees 011 Stockton-on-Tees
3 Northumberland 001 Northumberland
4 Torry West Aberdeen City
5 Dover 001 Dover

Forenames

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First names often paired with Benzies

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Benzies

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Benzies surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Benzies household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Benzies is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Benzies is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Benzies falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Benzies families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Benzies 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. Aberdeenshire leads with 45 Benzies' recorded in 1881 and an index of 44.48x.

County Total Index
Aberdeenshire 45 44.48x
Banffshire 30 132.39x
Lanarkshire 9 2.55x
Durham 6 1.85x
Midlothian 6 4.10x
Nairnshire 5 150.15x
Morayshire 4 23.57x
Middlesex 2 0.18x
Argyllshire 1 3.29x
Berwickshire 1 7.56x
Dorset 1 1.39x
Kent 1 0.27x
Northumberland 1 0.62x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Fordyce in Banffshire leads with 12 Benzies' recorded in 1881 and an index of 736.20x.

Place Total Index
Fordyce 12 736.20x
Aberdeen Old Machar 11 52.08x
Insch 10 1724.14x
Deskford 8 2500.00x
Glasgow 8 12.75x
Keith 7 289.26x
Winlaton 6 192.31x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 5 26.41x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 5 8.49x
Nairn 5 247.52x
Elgin 4 121.21x
Leochel Cushnie 4 869.57x
Alford 3 545.45x
Glenmuick Tullich 3 410.96x
Auchindoir Kearn 2 350.88x
Cruden 2 153.85x
Alvah 1 196.08x
Barony 1 1.12x
Coull 1 333.33x
Drumblade 1 277.78x
Dunoon 1 158.73x
Dunse 1 80.00x
Forgue 1 109.89x
Grange 1 151.52x
Greenwich 1 5.75x
Hammersmith London 1 3.72x
Huntly 1 60.61x
Marnoch 1 81.97x
Penicuik 1 50.25x
Portland 1 25.97x
Tullynessle Forbes 1 270.27x
Wallsend 1 19.42x
Westminster St Margaret 1 18.98x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 2
Lucy 1
Phoebe 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 2
Alexr. 1
Andrew 1
James 1
John 1
Peter 1

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 Benzies households.

FAQ

Benzies surname: questions and answers

How common was the Benzies surname in 1881?

In 1881, 116 people were recorded with the Benzies surname. That placed it at #18,126 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Benzies surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 129 in 2016. That gives Benzies a modern rank of #26,270.

What does the Benzies map show?

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