Bens History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

Medieval Austria is the ancient homeland of the Bens family. Austria, which was originally home to a Celtic people, was conquered by the Roman Empire in about 15 BC Following the fall of Rome, Austria was repeatedly invaded by barbarian tribes, such as the Vandals, Visigoths, and Huns, who swept in from the east. During the 5th and 6th centuries, the Alemanni, Avars and Slavs settled Austria. The Avars were defeated in 785 by the Frankish Emperor Charlemagne, who set up the East Mark, which later became known as the Österreich. Austria was ruled by the Babenburger dynasty until 1278, when they were succeeded by the Hapsburg dynasty, which ruled Austria until the 20th century.

Early Origins of the Bens family

The surname Bens was first found in Austria, where the name was closely identified in early mediaeval times with the feudal society which would become prominent throughout European history. The name would later emerge as a noble family with great influence, having many distinguished branches, and become noted for its involvement in social, economic and political affairs.

Early History of the Bens family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bens research. Another 126 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1766 and 1839 are included under the topic Early Bens History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bens Spelling Variations

In the medieval era, many different cultural groups lived in the German states. There are thus many regional variations of German surnames from that era. Westphalians spoke Low German, which is similar to modern Dutch. Many German names carry suffixes that identify where they came from. Others have phrases attached that identify something about the original bearer. Other variations in German names resulted from the fact that medieval scribes worked without the aid of any spelling rules. The spelling variations of the name Bens include Benz, Benns, Bennze, Benze, Bennse, Bense, Bensz and others.

Early Notables of the Bens family

Another 42 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bens Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bens migration to the United States +

After the First World War, Austria became a republic. The Treaty of Versailles broke up the empire in 1919 and many of the Sudeten Germans were incorporated into the new nation of Czechoslovakia. In the 20th century, many Austrians migrated to other parts of Germany or Europe, as well as to North America. In the United States, the majority of settlers landed in Philadelphia, and moved on to Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, New York, and Maryland. Many German settlers also migrated to Canada, particularly Ontario and the Prairies. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Bens were

Bens Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

William Bens, who landed in Virginia in 1719 1
Philip Bens, aged 27, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1738 1

Contemporary Notables of the name Bens (post 1700) +

Paul G. Bens Jr. (b. 1964), American writer and former independent film and television casting director, known for Night Court (1984), Yankee Zulu (1993) and Martians Go Home (1989)
Fred W. Bens, American Republican politician, First Selectman of Cheshire, Connecticut, 1955-57 2
Constant Bens (b. 1941), Belgian former wrestler who competed in the 1972 Summer Olympics
Ernest Bens (b. 1949), Belgian former cyclist who competed in the team pursuit at the 1968 Summer Olympics
Jan Bens (1921-2012), Dutch professional association football player and coach
Roger Bens, French singer of Femme dans ses rêves aussi who competed in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1985

Citations +

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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 14) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html