Show ContentsBenet History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Benet is one of the proud Scottish names to come from the Strathclyde clans of the Scottish/English Borderlands. It is derived from the ancient Latin given name Benedictus, which means blessed.

Early Origins of the Benet family

The surname Benet was first found in Perthshire where "Benedictus, son of Walter de Sancto Edmundo, witnessed a charter of sale of land in Perth, 1219. Benedict the dean (decanus) witnessed the gift of the mill of Wystoun to the Hospital of Soltre in 1249. The fame of Saint Benedict (480-543) the patriarch of the Western monks made the name popular. " 1

Early History of the Benet family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Benet research. Another 235 words (17 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1200, 1249, 1250, 1300, 1402, 1459, 1527, 1563, 1588, 1594, 1603, 1604, 1652, 1743, 1793, 1795, 1797, 1822, 1836, 1872, 1883 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Benet History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Benet Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that rules have developed and the process of spelling according to sound has been abandoned. Scottish names from before that time tend to appear under many different spelling variations. Benet has been spelled Bennett, Bennet, Benett, Benet and others.

Early Notables of the Benet family

Notable amongst the family at this time was

  • W. Benett, who was the Mayor of Chester in 1652

Benet Ranking

In France, the name Benet is the 3,349th most popular surname with an estimated 2,000 - 2,500 people with that name. 2

Ireland Migration of the Benet family to Ireland

Some of the Benet family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 125 words (9 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Benet migration to the United States +

Unwelcome in their beloved homeland, many Scots sailed for the colonies of North America. There, they found land and freedom, and even the opportunity to make a new nation in the American War of Independence. These Scottish settlers played essential roles in the founding of the United States, and the shaping of contemporary North America. Among them:

Benet Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • William Benet, who arrived in Virginia in 1621 aboard the ship "Seaflower" 3
  • Samuel Benet, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1682 3
  • Edmund Benet, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1682 3
Benet Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Godfry Benet, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1738 3
Benet Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Louis Benet, aged 23, who arrived in New York, NY in 1852 3
  • J Benet, aged 12, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1858 3
  • Jose Benet, who landed in Puerto Rico in 1860 3

Canada Benet migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Benet Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century
  • Etienne Benet, who settled in Montreal in 1666

Contemporary Notables of the name Benet (post 1700) +

  • Eric Benét (b. 1966), American R&B and gospel singer
  • William Rose Benét (1886-1950), American poet (brother of Stephen) awarded the 1942 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry
  • Stephen Vincent Benét (1898-1943), American poet awarded the 1929 and 1944 Pulitzer Prizes for Poetry
  • William Benet, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from New York 30th District, 1982 4
  • Edward S. Benet, American politician, U.S. Vice Consul in Matanzas, 1938-43 4
  • Christie Benet (1879-1951), American Democratic Party politician, Solicitor, 5th Circuit, 1908-09; U.S. Senator from South Carolina, 1918 4
  • Josep Maria Benet i Jornet (1940-2020), Catalan playwright and screenwriter; he died from COVID-19
  • Benet Alan Hytner KC (1927-2023), English barrister and jurist, Judge of Appeal of the Isle of Man, Head of the Byrom Street Chambers in Manchester
  • Benet Rossell i Sanuy (1937-2016), Spanish Catalan artist


  1. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  2. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
  3. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  4. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 1) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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