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Bench Family History

Bench Surname Meaning

English (West Midlands): topographic name for someone who lived by a bank or raised piece of ground from Middle English bench(e) banch binch(e) ‘bench bank terrace’ (from Old English benc) signifying one who lived at or near a terrace or (river) bank.

Americanized form of Czech and Slovak Benč: from a pet form of a personal name derived from Latin Benedictus (see Benedict and Benko).

Possibly also an altered form of German Bensch.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Bench family from?

You can see how Bench families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Bench family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Bench families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 152 Bench families living in London. This was about 30% of all the recorded Bench's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Bench families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Bench surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Bench ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Bench. 19% of Bench men worked as a General Labourer and 78% of Bench women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Bench were Railway Porter and Domestic Servant.

View Census Data for Bench | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    19%
  • Tool Maker
    10%
  • Capstan Lathe Hand
    10%
  • Railway Porter
    10%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    78%
  • Housewife
    4%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    4%
  • Domestic Servant
    4%

What Bench family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 26,000 census records available for the last name Bench. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Bench census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Bench

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Bench. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Bench immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 4,000 military records available for the last name Bench. For the veterans among your Bench ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Bench military records

You've only scratched the surface of Bench family history

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What is the average Bench lifespan?

Between 1957 and 2004, in the United States, Bench life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1959, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Bench in 1957 was 48, and 77 in 2004.

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Bench ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Bench family tree

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