The area of Bensalem Township appeared on the Holme Map of 1682, though not yet with a name. See also: Pennsylvania in the American Revolution and Pennsylvania in the American Civil War Another theory notes the shared name with the utopian island in Francis Bacon's New Atlantis, also named Bensalem. It was originally named Salem the first syllable Ben was added in 1701. The origin of the name Bensalem likely comes from references made by settler Joseph Growden, who named his estate Manor of Bensalem in honor of William Penn and the Semitic term for peace, Salem. The township, which was founded in 1692, is almost as old as Pennsylvania itself, which was founded in 1682. It is located within the Delaware Valley, also known as the Philadelphia metropolitan area.Īs of the 2020 census, the township had a population of 62,707, which made it the most populous municipality in Bucks County and the ninth-most populated municipality in Pennsylvania. Bensalem Township has no other incorporated municipalities within its boundaries. The township borders the northeastern section of Philadelphia and includes the communities of Andalusia, Bensalem, Bridgewater, Cornwells Heights, Eddington, Flushing, Oakford, Siles, Trappe, and Trevose. Bensalem Township is a township in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States.