Boy · #470 in 2026

Benson

Name: Popularity of the name Benson in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Benson, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

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.

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

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Benson

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

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

The Story of Benson

Benson first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1887, with 9 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2016, when 729 Bensons were born — ranking #428 that year. As of 2026, Benson ranks #470 for baby boys with 666 births, holding steady (+4%). In total, more than 14K Bensons have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

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?

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.