Recorded as Bentick, Bentinck and Benting, this is a surname of pre medieval Dutch or Flemish origins, of which there at least two. The first is from the word 'bontyng', which in ancient times described a small bird like a sparrow, and hence was given as a nickname to somebody who was small and rotund, or possibly given the robust humour of the period, the complete reverse. The derivation of bontyng is from a pre 7th century Dutch-German element 'bunz', meaning 'little barrel'. This word is recorded in ancient times as the first component of the English place name Buntingford, a village in Hertfordshire. The second possible origin is from the Dutch personal name Bent, a short form of Benedict, to which was added the suffix '-ing or -inck' meaning people, and hence describing the Benting or Bentinck families. William Bentinck, born in Holland, was the close friend and advisor to William of Orange in 1688. He was rewarded by being appointed earl of Portland, and his son was made duke of Portland in 1716 for supporting the Hanoverian accession to the English throne. Early examples of the surname recording in the ancient rolls and registers of both England and The Netherlands include: John Buntying in the Hundred rolls of the county of Sussex in the year 1273, Wolf Bentinck, the son of Hendrik Bentinck, christened at Diepenhe, Overijessel, on February 2nd 1595, Margaret Benting, who married Will Dodson at St James church, Dukes Place, in the city of London, on May 26th 1692, and Catarina Benting, a witness at Amsterdam, Noord Holland, on November 2nd 1728.

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