Boys' name · peaked in 1889
Ben name popularity since 1925
60,859 babies born in the US from 1925 to 2025 were named Ben. Half of them were born in 1960 or earlier, so the typical Ben is about 66 years old in 2026. Ben peaked in 1889 as the #43 name for boys, and it ranked #843 in 2025.
Key facts
- US babies since 1925
- 60,859
- Named Ben, 1925–2025
- Peak year
- 1889
- #43 for boys that year
- In 2025
- #843
- for boys in 2025 (292 babies)
- Girls / boys
- 99.5% boys
- 283 girls · 60,576 boys
- Most popular in
- Mississippi
- 2.66× its national share
Peak year is the year Ben made up the largest share of US boys, in records going back to 1880. Typical age is based on births from 1925 on, not on who is living today.
Ben births per year, 1925–2025
The biggest year on this chart was 1962. Measured as a share of all babies, Ben peaked earlier, in 1889.
- Steepest fall: Between 1962 and 1967, Ben's share of baby boys fell by 37%, from 1 in 1,980 to 1 in 3,150.
Shaded on the chart. This compares Ben's share of all US boys five years apart, counting only years with at least 100 babies named Ben.
Decade by decade
Babies named Ben in each decade, and its rank among boys' names in the middle year of the decade (1935, 1945 … 2025).
| Decade | Girls | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1925–29 | 76 | 5,009 | – |
| 1930s | 73 | 8,638 | #161 |
| 1940s | 24 | 8,079 | #201 |
| 1950s | 31 | 7,765 | #253 |
| 1960s | 31 | 7,918 | #276 |
| 1970s | 29 | 5,805 | #307 |
| 1980s | 19 | 4,503 | #411 |
| 1990s | 0 | 3,455 | #569 |
| 2000s | 0 | 4,177 | #541 |
| 2010s | 0 | 3,340 | #736 |
| 2020–25 | 0 | 1,887 | #843 |
Ranks count every name given to at least 5 boys that year, so they can go past 1,000.
Generation fingerprint
26.2% of babies named Ben from 1925 to 2025 were born in the Baby Boom years (1946–1964). The full split by generation:
Where Ben is most popular
The index compares Ben's share of babies in each state with its share nationwide, 1925–2025 (1.50× = 50% more common). States with at least 300 babies named Ben.
| State | Index | Babies |
|---|---|---|
| Mississippi | 2.66× | 1,855 |
| New Mexico | 2.50× | 794 |
| South Carolina | 2.11× | 1,698 |
| Alabama | 1.84× | 1,866 |
| Arkansas | 1.77× | 1,046 |
Names with a similar story
Of the other 1999 names on this site, these six had the share of babies closest in shape to Ben's from 1925 to 2025, however common each one got. Each line is scaled to its own high; the dashed line is Ben.
Names from the same era
Other common names that peaked within two years of Ben (1889).
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration national and state baby-name data, which covers names given to at least 5 babies of one sex in a year. About the data