Bena

See also: Appendix:Variations of "bena"

Translingual

Proper noun

Bena

1. A taxonomic genus within the family Nolidae – certain moths.

English

Etymology 1

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

Bena (plural Benas or Bena)

1. A member of a people who live north of Lake Nyasa.

Proper noun

Bena

1. The Bantu language of this people.

Etymology 2

Various origins:

• Borrowed from Italian Benà, a reduced form of the medieval personal name Benenato.
• Borrowed from Hungarian Béna, a nickname from béna (“lame”).
• Borrowed from Czech and Slovak Béňa, a diminutive of Benedikt.

Proper noun

Bena (plural Benas)

1. A surname.

Statistics

• According to the 2010 United States Census, Bena is the 38850^th most common surname in the United States, belonging to 568 individuals. Bena is most common among White (69.37%) and Hispanic/Latino (25.7%) individuals.

Etymology 3

Various place names, etymology shown individually if known.

Proper noun

Bena

1. An unincorporated community in Kern County, California, United States.
2. A minor city in Cass County, Minnesota, United States.
3. A village in Kebbi state, north-west Nigeria.
4. A small town in South Gippsland, Victoria, Australia; from an Aboriginal name for the lyrebird.

Etymology 4

Proper noun

Bena

1. An Adamawa language of Nigeria.

Further reading

• Ethnologue entry for Bena, yun ⁠
• Hanks, Patrick, editor (2003), “Bena”, in Dictionary of American Family Names, volume 1, New York: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 135.

Anagrams

• Bane, Bean, bane, bean, nabe