The Benham surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 4,955 people carried this name — #6,807 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 59,500 people counted. That is up 1% from 4,883 in 2000.

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In the first U.S. census, 1790

40 families named Benham, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 228 people lived in those households, 5.7 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 5 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Connecticut 30
New York 6
Vermont 2
North Carolina 2

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 229 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Benham in American newspapers,
1875–1895.

Newspaper page from The Anaconda Standard carrying the name Benham
The Anaconda Standard 1895-12-13
Newspaper page from The New Orleans Bulletin carrying the name Benham
The New Orleans Bulletin 1875-07-17
Newspaper page from The New Orleans Bulletin carrying the name Benham
The New Orleans Bulletin 1875-07-15

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain.

In print

Benham in Australian newspapers,
1830s–1980s.

13,543 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Benham. The most, 1,954, date from the 1880s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in South Australia, at 2.5 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

South Australia 4,273
New South Wales 3,509
Victoria 2,157
Queensland 2,102
Tasmania 738
Western Australia 735
ACT (Canberra) 11
Northern Territory 3

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Benham.

Who carried it

People named Benham,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Henry Washington Benham
    Henry Washington Benham 1813–1884 · military officer
  • Andrew E. K. Benham
    Andrew E. K. Benham 1832–1905 · military officer
  • Joseph Benham d. 1840 · lawyer
  • Robert Benham 1750–1809 · politician
  • James Benham 1785–1864
  • Mary Anne Shoppee 1822–1897

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Benham,
in the records of 6 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States481 records

481 records of the Benham name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 153
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 107
  • Other U.S. records 221
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Harold L. Benham

    Born 1910 in California. Enlisted 1942 at San Francisco; filling station attendant. U.S. Army Air Forces veteran of World War II; died 1961, buried at Golden Gate National Cemetery, California.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Charlotte Benham

    Arrived at New York in 1853 aboard the Abby Blanchard from Liverpool, aged 53; farmer. From Ireland.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. A U.S. Army record of death and interment, Camp Nelson, Kentucky, 1864
    Example: U.S. burial record, 1864
    Burial record Cyrus Strabo Benham

    U.S. Army veteran of World War I. Born 1893, died 1968; buried at Fort Snelling National Cemetery, Minnesota.

    U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)

Showing 3 of 481 records for Benham in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Record of death and interment, Camp Nelson, Kentucky, 1864, U.S. National Archives (public domain).

Australia327 records

327 records of the Benham name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 169
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 53
  • Other Australian records 105
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record James Benham

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Bardaster, sailing from Portsmouth in 1835. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1843.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Eliza Benham

    Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1847. Married 1848 in Hobart, Tasmania, aged 34.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Jane Benham

    Arrived in Victoria in 1853 aboard the Stebonheath, aged 33; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 327 records for Benham in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada63 records

63 records of the Benham name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 53
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 4
  • Other Canadian records 6
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Agnes May Benham

    Buried in 1992 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 93.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Harriett Louise Benham

    Died 1966 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Douglas Kirkpatrick Benham

    Died in service in 1914.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 63 records for Benham in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

United Kingdom14 records

14 records of the Benham name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 9
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 4
  • Welsh wills index cards 1
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Walter Benham

    Will proved in 1941; of Warwickshire, Warwickshire.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Spencer Benham

    Buried in 1803 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 61.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record W. Benham

    Machine Gun Corps. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 14 records for Benham in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand3 records

3 records of the Benham name in New Zealand Christchurch City cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Walter Thomas Benham

    Died 1926, aged 66; buried at Sydenham Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record William Frederick Benham

    Died 1908; buried at Linwood Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record James William Benham

    Died 1896, aged 26; buried at Sydenham Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Netherlands3 records

3 records of the Benham name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 2
  • Dutch population registers 1
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Amelia Benham

    In the population register of Amsterdam; governess, born 1845 in Londen.

    Open Archives, Archief Eemland (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Maurice Robert Arthur Benham

    Married in 1945 in Tilburg.

    Open Archives, Brabants Historisch Informatie Centrum (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 2 of 3 records for Benham in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Benham.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Benham is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

See the Benham volume
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