Pronunciation | /ˈbɛnɪt/ |
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Origin | |
Language(s) | Anglo-Norman, Old French |
Meaning | "blessed" |
Region of origin | England, 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 Ireland.[ citation needed ]
It is related to the medieval name Benedict . [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 with the given name include: