Show ContentsBengtson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The generations and branches of the Bengtson family share a name that has its roots in the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. The name Bengtson comes from the German name Beringer. "Beringar ‘bear-spear’ [was] the name of one of the paladins in the Charlemagne romances and fairly common in England in the 12th and 13th centuries. " [1] "Beringer [was] a town in France, where a battle was fought between the French and the English." [2]

The surname Bengtson probably arrived in England shortly after the Norman Conquest of 1066, when the Normans imported many laborers from the continent in order to expedite their hold on England.

Early Origins of the Bengtson family

The surname Bengtson was first found in the Domesday Book of 1086 where Berengerus was recorded. [3] Later, Robertus filius Beregarii was listed in English Feudal Records in Lincolnshire c. 1150 and Bengerus was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls for Bedfordshire in 1203. Belingar was found in Dorset in 1207 and Berenger faber in the Assize Rolls for Yorkshire in 1219. [1]

The variant Bengston "came from Bynna's homestead; one who came from Bensington (the village of the Benesingas), in Oxfordshire." [4]

Early History of the Bengtson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bengtson research. Another 195 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1208, 1420, 1457, 1500, 1520, 1523, 1572, 1778, 1782, 1790, 1791 and 1827 are included under the topic Early Bengtson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bengtson Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Bengtson include Benger, Benyger, Beniger, Beneger, Bengar, Benniger and many more.

Early Notables of the Bengtson family

Distinguished members of the family include John Benger (died c. 1457), of Pewsey, Wiltshire, an English politician, He was a Member of the Parliament of England for Great Bedwyn in 1420; Richard Benger, English Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford (1520-1523); and Sir Thomas Benger Master of the Revels under Queen Elizabeth I of England (ca. 1520?-1572.) Elizabeth Ogilvy Benger (1778-1827), was an English author, "born at Wells, Somerset, in 1778. Her father was in trade in that city, but left it in 1782 for Chatham to get employment in the navy, and was made...
Another 95 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bengtson Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bengtson Ranking

In the United States, the name Bengtson is the 10,814th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [5]


United States Bengtson migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Bengtson or a variant listed above:

Bengtson Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Anders Bengtson, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1693 [6]
Bengtson Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Meta Bengtson, aged 67, who landed in New York, NY in 1869 [6]
Bengtson Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Otto W Bengtson, who arrived in Mobile, Ala in 1906 [6]

Contemporary Notables of the name Bengtson (post 1700) +

  • Henning B. Bengtson, American Republican politician, Candidate for Connecticut State House of Representatives from Ansonia, 1930 [7]
  • G. E. Bengtson, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Kansas 6th District, 1946 [7]


  1. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  2. Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
  3. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  4. Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
  5. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  6. 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)
  7. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 1) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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