The Bennett surname
In the 2010 U.S. Census, 247,599 people carried this name — #86 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 1,190 people counted. That is up 4% from 239,055 in 2000.
What the name means
The meaning of the Bennett surname
An English surname originating as a patronymic from a medieval form of Benedict.
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Bennett» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.
In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890
Ireland registered 81 births for the Bennett name in 1890.
They were registered in all four provinces, most of all in Ulster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 3,600 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. 2 of them were indexed under other spellings of the name. The Registrar-General’s note on the name: “Cork, Dublin, Antrim, Armagh, and Down.”
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they were born, 1890
Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.
In France’s civil register
France’s register of deaths holds 185 people named Bennett.
Most of them — 101 — were born outside France. Those born in France came from 16 départements, most often French Polynesia.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they were born
Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.
In Switzerland’s population statistics
127 people named Bennett live in Switzerland.
They live in 12 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Zurich.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.
In Poland’s population register
72 people named Bennett have a registered home in Poland.
Of the 204 in Poland’s national register, these are the ones with a permanent address on file. They live in 14 of Poland’s 16 voivodeships, most of all in Lesser Poland.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
PESEL register, Ministry of Digital Affairs of Poland (dane.gov.pl) — CC0 · living people by voivodeship of permanent residence, 20 January 2026.
In Argentina’s national register
At least 54 people named Bennett live in Argentina.
RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Buenos Aires Province.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.
In the Nordic population registers
198 people named Bennett are counted in Sweden and Finland.
Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published. Finland counts its citizens, at home or abroad.
Counted, by country
Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown) · Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV), Finland, surname statistics, August 2026 — CC BY 4.0.
In print
Bennett in American newspapers,
1843–1925.
Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 1,441,677 pages in all carry the name.
Who carried it
People named Bennett,
with a public archive behind them.
-
Anna Maria Bennett 1746–1808 · writer -
Thomas Bennett, Jr. 1781–1865 · politician -
James Gordon Bennett Sr. 1795–1872 · businessperson -
John C. Bennett 1804–1867 · physician -
Henry Bennett 1823–1890 · horticulturist
Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons (CC0) · 186 lives in all are documented under this name.
Nearby in the index
Surnames next to Bennett.
- Benko 1,243 · U.S. census
- Bennani 212 · U.S. census
- Benne 660 · U.S. census
- Benner 11,612 · U.S. census
- Bennes 124 · U.S. census
- Bennet 3,523 · U.S. census
- Benoist 742 · U.S. census
- Benoit 20,160 · U.S. census
- Benoliel 126 · U.S. census
- Bens 335 · U.S. census
- Bense 311 · U.S. census
- Bensimon 276 · U.S. census
When the index is not enough
This page says where Bennett 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.