An English surname, Benfell comes from the Old English term ‘bere’ which refers to a bear and the Old English term ‘feld’ which is an open field or country region. The spelling variations for Benfell include Benfeld, Benefield, Benfield, Benfiel and Banfill. In England the largest concentrations of families carrying the Benfell surname are Yorkshire, Hampshire, Surrey, Buckinghamshire and the city of London. There are places named Benifield in Northumberland, England. In the mid-to-late 1800s many Benfell families resettled in New Zealand and Australia. Within the United States the main location with those individuals having the Benfell name is the state of Utah; especially in the Salt Lake City and Provo communities. There are a few in California, then Arkansas, Virginia, Minnesota, New Mexico and finally Washington. The overall population of the number of people with the Benfell surname is very small. Famous and renowned people with the surname: Roy Benfell (author from Yorkshire, England), Alan Benfell (flight training and director of ‘The Soaring Society of America’) and Carol Benfell (journalist).