Been — Family Name, Records and Arms

Families named Been share an English surname with a long history. The usual explanation, from Elsdon Smith, is “descendant of Been or Ben, pet forms of Benjamin (son of my right hand)”.

Been coat of arms

Coats of arms were borne by individual families. If arms are recorded under the Been name, our researchers explain whose they were and how they were blazoned.

Surname origin

Like many surnames, it grew out of a personal name. Related forms include Beene and Beenes.

According to the 2010 US Census, the Been surname had 1,090 bearers. Similar-sounding surnames on Herald Lab: Bean. For the full story, order the Been surname pack.