Ben
Short form of Benjamin, Hebrew for “son of the right hand.”
Popularity, 1880–2025
Ben appears in the national records from the very first year, 1880. It has ranked among the top 100 names for American boys in every year from 1880 to 1911. Its biggest year was 1918, when 1,276 newborn boys received the name, ranking it No. 128 nationally. Its best ranking came in 1889, at No. 43. In 2025 it ranked No. 843 for boys. All told, 85,816 Americans have been given the name since 1880.
Related names
Other names that share a story: Benjamin
Explore Ben interactively →By the decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 3,449 | No. 43 |
| 1890s | 3,156 | No. 54 |
| 1900s | 3,028 | No. 73 |
| 1910s | 9,539 | No. 79 |
| 1920s | 10,610 | No. 137 |
| 1930s | 8,638 | No. 154 |
| 1940s | 8,079 | No. 178 |
| 1950s | 7,765 | No. 250 |
| 1960s | 7,918 | No. 238 |
| 1970s | 5,805 | No. 303 |
| 1980s | 4,503 | No. 344 |
| 1990s | 3,455 | No. 515 |
| 2000s | 4,177 | No. 525 |
| 2010s | 3,340 | No. 687 |
| 2020s | 1,887 | No. 765 |
Births and rank shown for boys, the sex more often given the name. The Social Security Administration omits name–year combinations with fewer than five births.
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Data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby-name file, 1880–2025.