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Origins of the Bennett surname

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What does the name Bennett mean?

Bennett is an English surname with Anglo-Norman roots, found in records as early as the 1200s and thought to mostly have a patronymic origin. It refers to someone who was the son or descendant of a person named Benedict. Bennett is the English version of the Norman name 'Benet'. Some have hypothesised the surname Bennett may also have come from the Old English 'beonet' (bent-grass), and refer to somebody who lived at or near a bent-grass covered moor.

Alternative variations of the name Bennett

Bennett, Bennet, Benet, Benett, Benitt

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Where do most Bennetts live?

In 1921, most Bennetts lived in London.


Census records trace your ancestors through each generation, so you can follow where your relatives lived through each decade.

Interesting facts about Bennetts

How common is your surname?

55th most common surname in the UK

We have 510,000 records for the Bennett surname. The oldest one dates back to 1220.

Who were Bennetts most likely to marry?

Smiths

&

Joneses

Our Marriage record sets tell us which families married Bennetts.

What are the most common Bennett first names?

  • John
  • William
  • Mary
  • Elizabeth

Our birth record sets tell us the names of Bennett family members

Common jobs for Bennetts

Men and women often performed different types of jobs, so these are displayed by gender to maintain their historical accuracy.

Common Female occupations for Bennetts in 1921
Dressmaker

2,135

Laundress

1,264

Domestic Servant

1,207

General Servant Domestic

1,145

Cotton Weaver

1,044

Common Male occupations for Bennetts in 1921
Agricultural Labourer

2,034

General Labourer

2,013

Coal Miner

1,905

Carpenter

1,388

Farmer

1,284

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Census records provide incredible detail on names, ages, marital statuses, occupations and more.

We found over 500,000 family trees with the Bennett surname

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