Benham
An English surname with multiple possible roots, often explained as a place name or as a short form of Benedict.
The #6,807 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 62,310 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Historical surname writers gave Benham more than one possible explanation. One line of interpretation treats it as a habitational name from a place called Benham or a similar local name, while another connects it with Benfield/Benn/Benny as a shortened form of Benedict. Because the surviving evidence is mixed and the sources do not agree, the name is best treated as having uncertain or blended origins.
History
The name is established in England and appears in clerical and literary contexts in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Modern bearers in the United States likely descend from British families, though the surname may have separate local origins in different places. Some surname books also note related forms such as Benn, Benny, and Benfield, which suggests the name belonged to a wider family of medieval English names built on Ben- forms.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The 19th-century surname literature on Benham is noticeably inconsistent, which is a good reminder that many English surnames have more than one plausible origin.
From the historical record
“nett ; half-linen, 35. 6d. nett. BENHAM, Rev. Canon D. D., F.S.A. The Tower of London. With Four Plates in Colours and many other Illustrations. Super-royal 8vo, sewed, 55. nett; cloth, 75. nett. Mediaeval London. With a Frontispiece in Photogravure, Four Plates in Colour, and many other Illustrations. Super-royal…”
— Family Names and their Story