Ben
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- BEN
- Origin
- Hebrew
- UK rank, 2025
- #383 for boys
- US rank, 2025
- #843 for boys
Big in ScotlandBig in Northern Ireland
Ben is a boys' name of Hebrew origin, meaning “son of the right hand”. In 2025 it ranked 383rd for boys in the UK (122 babies) and 843rd for boys in the US (292 babies).
What does Ben mean?
Hebrew: short form of Benjamin
“son of the right hand”
Big Ben is the nickname of the great bell in the clock tower at Westminster.
More on Wiktionary.
Is Ben a girl's or a boy's name?
Ben is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 122 boys in the UK and 292 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Ben in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #383among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 122about 1 in 2,500 boys
- Five-year trend
- Fallingdown 52% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 122 boys in the UK were named Ben, making it the 383rd most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 230th. Its busiest year was 2002, with 3,774 boys.
It has been given to fewer boys each year for the last 23 years. 2025 had the fewest boys named Ben since the records began in 1996.
Half of all the boys named Ben in the UK since 1996 were born between 2000 and 2007. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.
Among boys in 2025, it was 487th in England and Wales, 160th in Scotland and 149th in Northern Ireland.
In the England and Wales top 100 for boys, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1984 (#45), 1994 (#40) and 2004 (#27).
Ben in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 122 | #383 |
| 2024 | 134 | #363 |
| 2023 | 144 | #340 |
| 2022 | 195 | #268 |
| 2021 | 216 | #256 |
| 2020 | 246 | #230 |
| 2019 | 260 | #224 |
| 2018 | 319 | #188 |
| 2017 | 378 | #166 |
| 2016 | 444 | #151 |
| 2015 | 529 | #131 |
| 2014 | 571 | #120 |
| 2013 | 619 | #112 |
| 2012 | 744 | #97 |
| 2011 | 946 | #76 |
| 2010 | 1,229 | #69 |
| 2009 | 1,431 | #56 |
| 2008 | 1,817 | #52 |
| 2007 | 2,064 | #37 |
| 2006 | 2,381 | #33 |
| 2005 | 2,774 | #29 |
| 2004 | 3,436 | #23 |
| 2003 | 3,531 | #22 |
| 2002 | 3,774 | #19 |
| 2001 | 2,841 | #30 |
| 2000 | 2,841 | #29 |
| 1999 | 2,851 | #29 |
| 1998 | 2,937 | #31 |
| 1997 | 2,852 | #32 |
| 1996 | 2,488 | #34 |
How popular is Ben in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #843among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 292about 1 in 5,800 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steadydown 9% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 292 boys in the US were named Ben, making it the 843rd most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 768th. Its busiest year was 1918, with 1,276 boys.
2025 had fewer boys named Ben than any year since 1994.
Half of all the boys named Ben in the US since 1880 were born between 1921 and 1973, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 302 boys in the US were given Ben or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #765, up from #843 for this spelling alone.
- Ben 292
- Bon 5
- Boon 5
Ben in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 292 | #843 |
| 2024 | 314 | #800 |
| 2023 | 311 | #797 |
| 2022 | 330 | #765 |
| 2021 | 327 | #765 |
| 2020 | 313 | #768 |
| 2019 | 339 | #720 |
| 2018 | 351 | #691 |
| 2017 | 327 | #732 |
| 2016 | 354 | #698 |
| 2015 | 331 | #736 |
| 2014 | 336 | #717 |
| 2013 | 310 | #746 |
| 2012 | 311 | #743 |
| 2011 | 344 | #687 |
| 2010 | 337 | #692 |
| 2009 | 389 | #644 |
| 2008 | 405 | #613 |
| 2007 | 409 | #611 |
| 2006 | 455 | #551 |
| 2005 | 447 | #541 |
| 2004 | 454 | #525 |
| 2003 | 440 | #528 |
| 2002 | 408 | #542 |
| 2001 | 394 | #546 |
| 2000 | 376 | #559 |
| 1999 | 391 | #532 |
| 1998 | 353 | #559 |
| 1997 | 372 | #534 |
| 1996 | 315 | #578 |
| 1995 | 322 | #568 |
| 1994 | 292 | #612 |
| 1993 | 333 | #556 |
| 1992 | 358 | #535 |
| 1991 | 352 | #540 |
| 1990 | 367 | #514 |
| 1989 | 437 | #450 |
| 1988 | 430 | #435 |
| 1987 | 426 | #424 |
| 1986 | 431 | #411 |
| 1985 | 428 | #411 |
| 1984 | 444 | #386 |
| 1983 | 431 | #386 |
| 1982 | 436 | #387 |
| 1981 | 522 | #344 |
| 1980 | 518 | #349 |
| 1979 | 549 | #333 |
| 1978 | 572 | #311 |
| 1977 | 626 | #307 |
| 1976 | 590 | #303 |
| 1975 | 603 | #307 |
| 1974 | 541 | #325 |
| 1973 | 535 | #324 |
| 1972 | 591 | #309 |
| 1971 | 578 | #322 |
| 1970 | 620 | #316 |
| 1969 | 578 | #320 |
| 1968 | 630 | #299 |
| 1967 | 553 | #317 |
| 1966 | 683 | #282 |
| 1965 | 727 | #276 |
| 1964 | 870 | #260 |
| 1963 | 945 | #249 |
| 1962 | 1,044 | #238 |
| 1961 | 934 | #257 |
| 1960 | 954 | #257 |
| 1959 | 933 | #261 |
| 1958 | 878 | #261 |
| 1957 | 855 | #258 |
| 1956 | 739 | #268 |
| 1955 | 735 | #253 |
| 1954 | 753 | #256 |
| 1953 | 746 | #251 |
| 1952 | 718 | #255 |
| 1951 | 687 | #255 |
| 1950 | 721 | #250 |
| 1949 | 761 | #234 |
| 1948 | 874 | #214 |
| 1947 | 887 | #215 |
| 1946 | 819 | #210 |
| 1945 | 717 | #201 |
| 1944 | 753 | #199 |
| 1943 | 835 | #192 |
| 1942 | 852 | #186 |
| 1941 | 767 | #190 |
| 1940 | 814 | #178 |
| 1939 | 709 | #189 |
| 1938 | 846 | #172 |
| 1937 | 814 | #175 |
| 1936 | 815 | #169 |
| 1935 | 891 | #161 |
| 1934 | 831 | #169 |
| 1933 | 868 | #163 |
| 1932 | 965 | #156 |
| 1931 | 912 | #163 |
| 1930 | 987 | #154 |
| 1929 | 957 | #159 |
| 1928 | 987 | #156 |
| 1927 | 1,011 | #156 |
| 1926 | 1,013 | #155 |
| 1925 | 1,041 | #153 |
| 1924 | 1,170 | #141 |
| 1923 | 1,049 | #148 |
| 1922 | 1,120 | #139 |
| 1921 | 1,124 | #139 |
| 1920 | 1,138 | #137 |
| 1919 | 1,215 | #126 |
| 1918 | 1,276 | #128 |
| 1917 | 1,128 | #129 |
| 1916 | 1,191 | #119 |
| 1915 | 1,263 | #113 |
| 1914 | 1,005 | #110 |
| 1913 | 809 | #108 |
| 1912 | 731 | #102 |
| 1911 | 467 | #86 |
| 1910 | 454 | #79 |
| 1909 | 358 | #84 |
| 1908 | 353 | #78 |
| 1907 | 314 | #82 |
| 1906 | 285 | #82 |
| 1905 | 290 | #84 |
| 1904 | 282 | #83 |
| 1903 | 259 | #81 |
| 1902 | 273 | #79 |
| 1901 | 259 | #73 |
| 1900 | 355 | #73 |
| 1899 | 259 | #73 |
| 1898 | 310 | #69 |
| 1897 | 291 | #65 |
| 1896 | 299 | #69 |
| 1895 | 324 | #63 |
| 1894 | 326 | #62 |
| 1893 | 321 | #62 |
| 1892 | 361 | #60 |
| 1891 | 302 | #61 |
| 1890 | 363 | #54 |
| 1889 | 453 | #43 |
| 1888 | 463 | #47 |
| 1887 | 305 | #58 |
| 1886 | 335 | #56 |
| 1885 | 292 | #62 |
| 1884 | 367 | #52 |
| 1883 | 306 | #56 |
| 1882 | 334 | #55 |
| 1881 | 289 | #56 |
| 1880 | 305 | #58 |
Nicknames for Ben
Names like Ben
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
John James Sam Jack Benjamin Joseph Charles Lewis William Leon Reuben Harry
Names related to Ben
More Hebrew names
Noah Isabella Elijah Mia Ava Jude Ezra Isaac Jacob Ethan Daniel Samuel Elias Mateo Elsie Levi
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Ben: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/ben, updated 20 October 2026.