Ben
How to say it: BEN · /bɛn/
Short form of Benjamin ('son of the right hand') or Benedict ('blessed'); stands independently as a given name.
Ben was the 781st most popular boys’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 292 babies (Social Security Administration). Its busiest decade was the 1880s, its births are down about 12% in ten years, and it is projected to slip to #829 by 2030.
Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · Insee 2025 data, published July 2026 · How we compute these figures
Key facts
| Rank among boys’ names, 2025 | #781 |
|---|---|
| Babies born in 2025 | 292 |
| Share of births | 1 in 11,353 |
| Peak decade | 1880s |
| Change over 10 years | −12% |
| Projected rank for 2030 (estimate) | #829 |
| In France, 2025 | #497 among boys’ names, 80 births |
Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA), Insee (France). How we compute these figures.
Its life, decade by decade
Once at its strongest in the 1880s, Ben remains in steady use despite falling far. From far below its peak, it will probably slip a little more.
What goes with it
Short and crisp in a single syllable, it feels grounded with a biblical theme. Sam shares its style.
In the classroom
In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Ben is about under 1 in 200.
Around the world
This spelling is used in Chinese, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Hebrew, Japanese, Norwegian, Swedish.
In France: #497 for boys in 2025.
England and Wales: #487. Ireland: #40.
Famous people named Ben
- Ben Affleck (born 1972)American film actor, director and screenwriter
- Ben Kingsley (born 1943)English actor
- Ben Jonson (1572–1637)English playwright, poet, and actor
From Wikidata and Wikipedia
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