Bently

Bentley is the transferred use of an old Anglo-Saxon surname derived from a place name. The Olde English word “beonet” referred to bent-grass or reeds, and “lëah” meant “wood clearing or meadow”, so the name Bentley originated as a location name indicating a clearing overgrown with bent-grass or reeds. The surname was developed in order to identify a person who dwelled in or hailed from a town so-called Bentley named for this topographical feature. There are several such places throughout England including the counties of Essex, Suffolk, Yorkshire, Derbyshire and Staffordshire. The first recorded spelling of the name occurred in the 12th century as de Benetlega. The name Bentley is also strongly associated with the British automobile; a name synonymous with wealth and luxury. Founded in 1919 by W.O. Bentley, the company originally manufactured airplane engines for WWI before turning its attention to the burgeoning auto industry after the Great War. In 1931 Bentley was acquired by Rolls-Royce, another name tantamount to extravagance. The name Bentley has “hockey-sticked” in popularity on the name graphs in the United States. As is typical of American parents, random other spellings have since emerged: Bently and Bentlee.