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Origin / History of the Bennett Name

This name derives from the medieval given name "Benedict", from the Latin "Benedictus" meaning blessed.  A personal name which owes its popularity in the Middle Ages chiefly to St. Benedict (circa 480 - 550), who founded the Benedictine order of monks at Monte Cassino, and wrote a monastic rule that formed a model for all subsequent rules. There were many versions of the name throughout Europe, and in England.  By the 12 Century, with the decay of Latin as the common language and the Norman Conquest, the popular Latin name Benedict was soon adapted into the Old French 'Beneit' and 'Benoit' and the Italian 'Benedetto', gradually evolving into Bennett.  The records of Furness Abbey, which was run by the Benedictine Order, indicates a great number of baptisms with the name Bennet and Benson.  Indeed, these names (the two most popular forms) are found to be particularly prevalent in areas where Benedictine monks flourished.  Other variations found in Benedictine baptismal records include the names Bennison, Benns, Bence, Bense, Bennie and Benny.  The earliest reference to a Bennett is in the 1193 records for Oseney Abbey.  Here the name appears as Beneit, which is a variation of the old French form.  A rare variation of the name appears in Shakespeare, In Much Ado About Nothing one of the characters is named Benedick.  In the evolution process many variations arose, some of which remain in common use today.  Bennetts, for instance, means ‘dependent of Bennett’; Benson means ‘son of Bennett, other variations include: Ben; Benn; Benniman; Benns; Bence; Bennet; Bennison; Benny; Benedict; Bennetts; Bennitt; Benoit; Benet; Bennie; Bennitts; Bense; Benson; Benyson.

Coat of Arms / Crest
A Coat of Arms is bestowed upon individuals, not families.  They are not transferable, but may be handed down and derived by family members. 

One such Coat of Arms which has been granted to a Bennett family is silver, a chevron between three red lions' heads erased.

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