Show ContentsBente History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Bente is a name of ancient Anglo-Saxon origin and comes from the family once having lived in Cheshire and Lancashire. Originally, the surname was derived from the Old English word beonet, which meant by the grassy plain. [1] Other records show that the name was also a nickname derived from the Christian name Bennet or Benjamin and was frequently used by the Benedictine monks.

Early Origins of the Bente family

The surname Bente was first found in Cheshire and Lancashire, but we must look to Northumberland for the first listing of the surname; for it is there that we find Nicholas Bent listed in the Assize Rolls of 1256. [1]

Later, the Subsidy Rolls of 1327 in Staffordshire list Adam del Bent. [1] Robert de la Bende was listed in Shropshire during the reign of Edward III (1327-1377.) [2]

James Ben, Bane, Bene, Bennet or Biort (d. 1332), was Bishop of St. Andrews, trained from his youth for the church. "As Archdeacon of St. Andrews he was sent to France in 1325, along with three other dignitaries, to renew an offensive and defensive alliance with that country. In the original document his name occurs as Bene; he is subsequently mentioned as Sir James Bane; by Fordun he is called Jacobus Benedicti; while the name on his tombstone was Jacobus dominus de Biurt. " [3]

Early History of the Bente family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bente research. Another 119 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1600 and 1680 are included under the topic Early Bente History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bente Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Bente family name include Bent, Benn, Ben, Bente, Bend and others.

Early Notables of the Bente family

More information is included under the topic Early Bente Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Bente migration to the United States +

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, Canada, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Bente surname or a spelling variation of the name include:

Bente Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Lodowick Bente, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1727 [4]
Bente Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Catherine Bente, who arrived in North America in 1832 [4]
  • Johan Fr Bente, aged 34, who arrived in Missouri in 1839 [4]
  • Joh Bente, who landed in America in 1845 [4]

Contemporary Notables of the name Bente (post 1700) +

  • C. W. Bente, American politician, Member of West Virginia State House of Delegates from Ohio County, 1909-10 [5]
  • Bente Rogge (b. 1997), Dutch water polo player
  • Bente Hansen (1940-2022), Danish writer, editor and women's rights activist who was a prominent supporter of the Danish Red Stocking Movement
  • Bente Sandvig, Norwegian former politician, Secretary of the Socialist Left Party (1989-1993)


The Bente Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Nec temere, nec timide
Motto Translation: Neither rashly nor timidly.


  1. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  2. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  3. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  4. 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)
  5. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 19) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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