Total births
85,349
Boys' name · since 1880
Ben
Ben has 85,349 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1918 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #800
- among boys today
- 85,349
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 94%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Ben is the #800 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 85,349 recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Ben recorded 85,349 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #800 nationally today, ahead of 94% of boys, peaking in the 1920s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #800 among boys today
- 85,349 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 94% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Ben is currently the #800 boys' name in America, more common than 94% of boys - 85,349 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #800
- among boys today
- 85,349
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 94%
- more common than other boys
Ben vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#800
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 94% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
12% of everyone ever named Ben was born in this single decade.
1918
Single peak year
1,276 babies were named Ben in 1918 - its busiest year on record.
How Ben compares
85,349 Top 2% higher than 98% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Ben's all-time total is 233x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Ben | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 85,349 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 1,276 | 23 | 22,252 |
Ben's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Ben splits its recorded history at 1953: 43% of all births land in the more recent half, 57% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1899 (259 births) -- compare that against the 1918 peak of 1,276 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Ben at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
1918
Current rank
#800
Active since
1880
Ben popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1918)
- 1,276
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Ben popularity over time - girls
467 total births recorded since 1889 (Ben as girls' name)
Ben by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Ben's strongest decade.
10,610 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 12% of all-time use.
Ben births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 3,449
1880s
3,449 births
- 1890s 3,156
1890s
3,156 births
- 1900s 3,028
1900s
3,028 births
- 1910s
1910s
9,539 births
- 1920s
1920s
10,610 births
- 1930s
1930s
8,638 births
- 1940s
1940s
8,079 births
- 1950s
1950s
7,765 births
- 1960s
1960s
7,918 births
- 1970s
1970s
5,805 births
- 1980s
1980s
4,503 births
- 1990s 3,455
1990s
3,455 births
- 2000s 4,177
2000s
4,177 births
- 2010s 3,340
2010s
3,340 births
- 2020s 1,887
2020s
1,887 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 10,610 births (12% of all-time use).
How Ben compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Ben's total volume
Ben vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Ben by state
Where Ben concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 7,940 | 9.3% |
| #2 | California | | 6,078 | 7.1% |
| #3 | New York | | 3,633 | 4.3% |
| #4 | Georgia | | 3,532 | 4.1% |
| #5 | Tennessee | | 2,861 | 3.4% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 2,820 | 3.3% |
| #7 | North Carolina | | 2,792 | 3.3% |
| #8 | South Carolina | | 2,643 | 3.1% |
Texas share of Ben's total US births 9.3%
Even split
7,940 of 85,349 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 47 reporting states.
Ben appears in 47 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Ben? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 85,349 babies named Ben. Today it holds rank #800 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1918, with 1,276 births.
When was Ben most popular? ▼
Ben was most popular in the 1920s decade with 10,610 total births. The single peak year was 1918.
Where is Ben most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Ben are Texas (7,940 births), California (6,078 births), New York (3,633 births).
How long has the name Ben been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Ben since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Ben? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Benjamin, Bennett, Bentley, Bennie, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Ben's data
- Ben's decade-level peak was the 1920s (10,610 total births); usage has since declined to 1,887 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Bens (7,940 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Ben
Nearby Names Like Ben
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Ben
Benjamin Boy
#11 826,830 births
Bennett Boy
#60 72,514 births
Bentley Boy
#201 60,027 births
Bennie Boy
#2502 52,753 births
Benny Boy
#888 48,500 births
Compare Ben side by side: Ben vs Benjamin Ben vs Bennett Ben vs Bentley
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Ben
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Ben: #800 Boys' Name - 85,349 Births, Peak 1918." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/ben. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Ben draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.