Total births
3,687
Boys' name · since 1884
Benjamen
3,687 babies named Benjamen in U.S. Social Security records since 1884, with the highest year being 1990. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #10962
- among boys today
- 3,687
- born since 1884
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 23%
- more common than other boys
Benjamen currently ranks #10962 among boys' names in America, with 3,687 babies recorded since 1884.
Benjamen has 3,687 recorded births among boys since 1884, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #10962 as of the latest data, more common than 23% of boys, busiest in the 1980s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1884 to 2025.
- #10962 among boys today
- 3,687 born since 1884
- 1980s peak decade
- 23% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Benjamen is currently the #10962 boys' name in America, more common than 23% of boys - 3,687 born since 1884, peaking in the 1980s.
- #10962
- among boys today
- 3,687
- born since 1884
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 23%
- more common than other boys
Benjamen vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#10962
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 23% of names given to boys today.
1980s
Peak decade
21% of everyone ever named Benjamen was born in this single decade.
1990
Single peak year
99 babies were named Benjamen in 1990 - its busiest year on record.
How Benjamen compares
3,687 Top 15% higher than 85% 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
Benjamen's all-time total is 10x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Benjamen | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 3,687 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 99 | 23 | 22,252 |
Benjamen's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Benjamen splits its recorded history at 1967: 81% of all births land in the more recent half, 19% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1887 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1990 peak of 99 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Benjamen at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1990
Current rank
#10,962
Active since
1884
Benjamen popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1884–2025
- Peak year (1990)
- 99
- Annual births at peak, across 142 years of records
Benjamen by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1980s was Benjamen's strongest decade.
776 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 21% of all-time use.
Benjamen births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 24
1880s
24 births
- 1890s 6
1890s
6 births
- 1900s 6
1900s
6 births
- 1910s 87
1910s
87 births
- 1920s 131
1920s
131 births
- 1930s 92
1930s
92 births
- 1940s 105
1940s
105 births
- 1950s 161
1950s
161 births
- 1960s 154
1960s
154 births
- 1970s
1970s
567 births
- 1980s
1980s
776 births
- 1990s
1990s
715 births
- 2000s
2000s
565 births
- 2010s 246
2010s
246 births
- 2020s 52
2020s
52 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 776 births (21% of all-time use).
How Benjamen 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 Benjamen's total volume
Benjamen vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Benjamen by state
Where Benjamen concentrates geographically, total births since 1884
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 149 | 4.0% |
| #2 | Ohio | | 85 | 2.3% |
| #3 | Texas | | 79 | 2.1% |
| #4 | Pennsylvania | | 56 | 1.5% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 51 | 1.4% |
| #6 | Indiana | | 40 | 1.1% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 35 | 0.9% |
| #8 | Florida | | 27 | 0.7% |
California share of Benjamen's total US births 4.0%
Even split
149 of 3,687 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 20 reporting states.
Benjamen appears in 20 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Benjamen? ▼
3,687 babies have been named Benjamen since 1884. It currently ranks #10962 among boys. The peak year was 1990 with 99 births.
When was Benjamen most popular? ▼
Benjamen was most popular in the 1980s decade with 776 total births. The single peak year was 1990.
Where is Benjamen most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Benjamen are California (149 births), Ohio (85 births), Texas (79 births).
How long has the name Benjamen been used? ▼
Records for Benjamen go back to 1884, giving 142 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Benjamen? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Benjamin, Ben, Bennett, Bentley, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Benjamen's data
- Benjamen's decade-level peak was the 1980s (776 total births); usage has since declined to 52 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Benjamens (149 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California 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 Benjamen
Nearby Names Like Benjamen
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Benjamen
Benjamin Boy
#11 826,830 births
Ben Boy
#800 85,349 births
Bennett Boy
#60 72,514 births
Bentley Boy
#201 60,027 births
Bennie Boy
#2502 52,753 births
Compare Benjamen side by side: Benjamen vs Benjamin Benjamen vs Ben Benjamen vs Bennett
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Benjamen
Jeptha #10961
290 births · Peak 1924
Hayward #10963
5,064 births · Peak 1956
Jewell #10960
4,684 births · Peak 1923
Hill #10964
577 births · Peak 1919
Rudolf #10959
2,951 births · Peak 1927
Prentice #10965
3,929 births · Peak 1939
Lennie #10958
2,890 births · Peak 1957
Rob #10966
8,775 births · Peak 1963
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, 1884–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Benjamen: #10962 Boys' Name - 3,687 Births, Peak 1990." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/benjamen. 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 Benjamen 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.