Bentley Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Bentley last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Bentley last name
Meaning of the Bentley last name: bent-grass clearing. Bentley is an English surname from the many places called Bentley, meaning "clearing covered with bent grass", a coarse grass of open ground. With so many such places, the last name arose in several regions and is most common in Yorkshire and Lancashire. A curious detail of this surname origin: the famous car brand takes its name from W. O. Bentley, its founder.
Arms associated with the Bentley name
English heralds once toured the counties to check who used a coat of arms, and heraldry associated with the Bentley surname belongs to that long tradition.
Get your full Bentley family history
This is only a glimpse of the Bentley story. The full Bentley history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Bentley coat of arms. Get the full Bentley report.
Bentley name FAQ
What does the Bentley name mean?
Bent-grass clearing. Common variants include Bently, Bentlee, Bentleigh.
Where does the Bentley surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Australia and Canada.
Is there a Bentley coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Bentley coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).