Bennett (name)

Bennett
Pronunciation/ˈbɛnɪt/
Origin
Language(s)Anglo-Norman, Old French
Meaning"blessed"
Region of originEngland, Ireland, Scotland
Other names
Variant form(s)Benedict, Benoît, Bénet, Bennet, Benatte, Bennatt, Mac Beinéid, MacBennett

Bennett is an English surname and, less commonly, a given name. Alternative spellings include Bennet, Benett, Benet and Bennette. It is common throughout the British Isles, in England, Scotland and also in Ireland.[citation needed]

It is related also to the medieval name Benedict from the Latin "Benedictus" meaning "well-spoken of" or "blessed".[1] Bennett is the English spelling of the Anglo-Norman name Ben[n]et (modern French first name Benoît, surname Bénet[2]). The oldest public record of the surname is dated 1208 in County Durham in North East England.[3]

In Ireland, the name is an Irish rendition of Beinéid, which is located in South Leinster. The name is also found throughout the southeastern providence of Ulster in Northern Ireland in the form of "MacBennett" in County Monaghan, County Down, and County Tyrone.[4]

Bennett was also found in Perthshire in Scotland. According to author George F. Black, Benedictus, the son of Walter de Sancto Edmundo, witnessed a charter of sale of land in Perth in 1219.[5] The name was common in Edinburgh throughout the 17th century. The variant "Bennet" is more common throughout Scotland, while Bennett is common along the Anglo-Scottish border.

People

Given name

People with the given name include:

Middle name

Surname

Fictional characters

  • Agent James Bennett, a character in the DC Animated Universe
  • Annie Bennett-Warbucks, protagonist and title character from the Annie musical and film adaptations
  • Bonnie Sheila Bennett (of the family line of Bennett witches), a character in The Vampire Diaries
  • Capt. Bennett, a character in the 1985 film Commando
  • Cybil Bennett, a character in the Silent Hill series
  • Dexter Bennett, a character of the fictional New York City tabloid newspaper Daily Bugle
  • Elmer and Abigail Bennett, the main characters in the 2019 short film Abigail
  • Ethan Bennett, a character in The Batman
  • Emily Bennett, a character in The Vampire Diaries
  • Emily Bennett, a character in the American Girl series of dolls and books
  • Wes Bennett, a character in Better Than the Movies
  • John Bennett, a character in Orange Is the New Black
  • Sheila Bennett, a character in The Vampire Diaries
  • Shirley Bennett, a character in Community
  • The Bennet family, a family of characters in Pride and Prejudice
  • Bennett (Chinese: 班尼特), a character in Genshin Impact
  • Rue Bennett, a character in Euphoria

References

  1. ^ "Online Latin Dictionary - Latin - English".
  2. ^ Albert Dauzat, Dictionnaire étymologique des noms de famille et prénoms de France, Librairie Larousse 1980, édition revue et augmentée par Marie-Thérèse Morlet, p. 36b.
  3. ^ "Surname: Bennett". surnamedb.com. Retrieved 2008-05-12.
  4. ^ Grenham, John. "Irish genealogy records for the surname Bennett". www.johngrenham.com. Retrieved 2023-02-25.
  5. ^ Black, George Fraser; New York Public Library (1946). The surnames of Scotland: their origin, meaning, and history. New York: New York Public Library.