Ben
Ben is a masculine given name. It is often short for Benjamin, Benedict, Bennett, Benson, and Ebenezer.
Meaning & Origin of Ben
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Ben is a masculine given name. It is often short for Benjamin, Benedict, Bennett, Benson, and Ebenezer.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Ben
Ben first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 305 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1918, when 1,276 Bens were born — ranking #128 that year. As of 2026, Ben ranks #809 for baby boys with 314 births, holding steady (-5%). In total, more than 86K Bens have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Ben
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Ben Adams (born 1981), member of the British boy band A1
- Ben Affleck (born 1972), American Academy Award-winning actor and screenwriter
- Ben Ashkenazy (born 1968/69), American billionaire real estate developer
- Ben Askren (born 1984), American sport wrestler and mixed martial artist
- Ben Axtman (born 1933), American politician
- Ben Bailey (born 1970), American comedian and game show host
- Ben Banogu (born 1996), American football player
- Ben Barba (born 1989), Australian rugby player
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Ben
Phonetically similar names — useful when Ben is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Ben
What does the name Ben mean?
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In which U.S. states is Ben most popular?
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About the name Ben
Ben is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 86K births in the dataset. Ben's peak popularity came in 1918 when it ranked #43. Use the chart and map above to compare Ben's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1918 →
- Names of the 1910s →
- Names starting with "B" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.