# Benedict (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/benedict/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. Counts from the US Census Bureau; origin and etymology from Wiktionary; bearers from Wikidata. Data updated 2026-11-11.

A surname originating as a patronymic.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | not recorded |
| Type | patronymic, formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 17,036 |
| US rank (2010) | 2,130 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 18,123 people |
| Change since 2000 | +1.1% (16,846 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈbɛnədɪkt/, 3 syllables |
| Variant spellings | Bene't |

## Etymology

From Saint Benedict, founder of the Benedictine Order, from Late Latin Benedictus, from benedictus (“blessed, well spoken of”), from Latin benedīcō (“to bless, to speak well of”). Doublet of Bennett, Benoit, and Benito.

## Who carries it

Share of people named Benedict in the 2010 US Census by the Census's own race and ethnicity groups. The Census suppresses a share when the count behind it is small.

| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 91% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 1.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 3.0% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 1.2% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.2% |
| Two or more races | 1.9% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Benedict in the United States.

## People named Benedict

- Ruth Benedict, American anthropologist and folklorologist (1887-1948)
- Dirk Benedict, American actor (b. 1945)
- Rob Benedict, American actor
- Jay Benedict, American actor (1951-2020)
- Richard Benedict, American actor (1920–1984)
- Paul Benedict, American actor (1938–2008)
- Paul K. Benedict, American anthropologist, mental health professional, and linguist (1912–1997)
- Ed Benedict, American animator (1912–2006)
- Brooks Benedict, American actor (1896-1968)
- Manson Benedict, American nuclear engineer (1907-2006)
- Maggie Benedict, actor
- William Benedict, American actor (1917-1999)

and 3 more on Wikidata.

## Similar surnames

Benitez, Benites, Bonds, Bounds, Bentz, Bondoc, Bundick.

## How to read these numbers

A Census count is people alive and counted in 2010, not births, and names occurring fewer than 100 times are not published at all. Ethnicity shares are the Census's own categories.