Boy · #470 in 2026

Benson

Notable people with the given name Benson:Benson Abounu, Deputy Governor of Benue State, Nigeria Benson Barus, Kenyan long-distance runner in marathon and half marathon competitions Benson Boone, American singer-songwriter Benson Dillon Billinghurst, American educator in Nevada during the early 20th century Benson K.

  • English
Current Rank
#470
Peak Rank
#428 (2016)
Total Babies
14K
5-Yr Trend
+4%
2015
First Year
2024
Last Year
2024
Peak Year
#11069
Peak Rank
19
Total Count
3
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Benson

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Notable people with the given name Benson:Benson Abounu, Deputy Governor of Benue State, Nigeria Benson Barus, Kenyan long-distance runner in marathon and half marathon competitions Benson Boone, American singer-songwriter Benson Dillon Billinghurst, American educator in Nevada during the early 20th century Benson K.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

  • English

The Story of Benson

The earliest SSA record of Benson as a baby boy name dates back to 1887, when 9 babies received it. 2016 was its biggest year on record, with 729 newborns named Benson — #428 in the national rankings. About 36% of every Benson on record arrived during the 2010s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Benson ranks #470 for baby boys with 666 births, holding steady (+4%). All told, over 14K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Benson

Phonetically similar names — useful when Benson is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

  • Bensen
  • Bunsen
  • Bensin
  • Bahnsen
  • Penson
  • Benzin
  • Bumsen
  • Benzene
  • Benzine
  • Benison
  • Besson
  • Pinson

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Benson

What does the name Benson mean?
Notable people with the given name Benson:Benson Abounu, Deputy Governor of Benue State, Nigeria Benson Barus, Kenyan long-distance runner in marathon and half marathon competitions Benson Boone, American singer-songwriter Benson Dillon Billinghurst, American educator in Nevada during the early 20th century Benson K.
What is the origin of the name Benson?
Benson has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: English.
How popular is Benson in 2026?
In 2026, Benson ranks #470 among boys' names in the U.S., with 666 babies given the name that year.
When was Benson most popular?
Benson reached its peak popularity in 2016, ranking #428 that year with 729 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Benson most popular?
Benson has historically been most popular in Utah, South Dakota, Idaho. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Benson.
Is Benson a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Benson is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Benson?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Benson include Hoyt, Mohamed, Hezekiah. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Benson

Benson is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1887 and has accumulated 14K births in the dataset. Benson's peak popularity came in 2016 when it ranked #428. Use the chart and map above to compare Benson's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.