Benson
A surname with two main roots: most often “son of Ben,” and in some cases a shortened form of Benedict.
The #365 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 3,587 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Benson is usually explained as “son of Ben,” with Ben serving as a short form of names like Benedict or Benjamin. Older surname dictionaries also connect some instances of Benson to Benedict, especially where Benedictine influence was strong. The name therefore has a mixed background: in many families it is a patronymic, but in others it may be a shortened form of a longer baptismal name.
History
The surname appears widely in medieval English records and was later common in regions associated with Benedictine houses, which likely helped spread some local Benson lines. 19th-century surname writers also noted variants and related forms such as Benn, Benns, and Bennison. Today Benson is established across the English-speaking world and is especially familiar in Britain and the United States.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
A few old surname writers singled out Benson as especially common near Benedictine foundations, linking local surname clusters to medieval monastic history.
From the historical record
“Bensley, Esq. BENSON. See Benjamin. But De Benson is found in H.B. BENSTED. Binsted, jDlaceR in Hants and Sussex. BENT. An open plain, common, or moor. See Eng. Surn. i. Gi. BENTHALL. A parish in Shropshire. BENTHA]\I. There is not much reason”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom