Total births
826,830
Boys' name · since 1880
Benjamin
826,830 babies named Benjamin in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 1989. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #11
- among boys today
- 826,830
- born since 1880
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 99.9%
- more common than other boys
826,830 babies have been named Benjamin since 1880, making it today's #11 boys' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Benjamin has been recorded 826,830 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #11 nationally and more common than 99.9% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1980s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #11 among boys today
- 826,830 born since 1880
- 1980s peak decade
- 99.9% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Benjamin is currently the #11 boys' name in America, more common than 99.9% of boys - 826,830 born since 1880, peaking in the 1980s.
- #11
- among boys today
- 826,830
- born since 1880
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 99.9%
- more common than other boys
Benjamin vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#11
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 99.9% of names given to boys today.
1980s
Peak decade
17% of everyone ever named Benjamin was born in this single decade.
1989
Single peak year
15,733 babies were named Benjamin in 1989 - its busiest year on record.
How Benjamin compares
826,830 Top 0% higher than 100% 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
Benjamin's all-time total is 2,253x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Benjamin | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 826,830 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 15,733 | 23 | 22,252 |
Benjamin's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Benjamin's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 89% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 11%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1903, with only 324 births recorded -- set against the 1989 peak of 15,733, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Benjamin at a glance
Top 100 boys' namePeak year
1989
Current rank
#11
Active since
1880
Benjamin popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1989)
- 15,733
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Benjamin popularity over time - girls
2,482 total births recorded since 1914 (Benjamin as girls' name)
Benjamin by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1980s was Benjamin's strongest decade.
141,366 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 17% of all-time use.
Benjamin births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 5,407
1880s
5,407 births
- 1890s 4,460
1890s
4,460 births
- 1900s 4,009
1900s
4,009 births
- 1910s 17,310
1910s
17,310 births
- 1920s 21,028
1920s
21,028 births
- 1930s 14,613
1930s
14,613 births
- 1940s 17,184
1940s
17,184 births
- 1950s 23,833
1950s
23,833 births
- 1960s 25,609
1960s
25,609 births
- 1970s
1970s
81,332 births
- 1980s
1980s
141,366 births
- 1990s
1990s
133,939 births
- 2000s
2000s
137,309 births
- 2010s
2010s
134,509 births
- 2020s
2020s
64,922 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 141,366 births (17% of all-time use).
How Benjamin 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 Benjamin's total volume
Benjamin vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Benjamin by state
Where Benjamin concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 80,392 | 9.7% |
| #2 | New York | | 52,355 | 6.3% |
| #3 | Texas | | 51,635 | 6.2% |
| #4 | Pennsylvania | | 41,174 | 5.0% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 36,565 | 4.4% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 34,799 | 4.2% |
| #7 | Florida | | 30,855 | 3.7% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 29,821 | 3.6% |
California share of Benjamin's total US births 9.7%
Even split
80,392 of 826,830 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Benjamin appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Benjamin? ▼
Benjamin has been given to 826,830 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #11 as of the latest data. 15,733 babies were born in 1989, its single highest year.
When was Benjamin most popular? ▼
Benjamin was most popular in the 1980s decade with 141,366 total births. The single peak year was 1989.
Where is Benjamin most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Benjamin are California (80,392 births), New York (52,355 births), Texas (51,635 births).
How long has the name Benjamin been used? ▼
Records for Benjamin go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Benjamin? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Ben, Bennett, Bentley, Bennie, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Benjamin's data
- Benjamin's usage has stayed within range of its 1980s decade-level peak (141,366 total births) through the 2020s (64,922) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Benjamins (80,392 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 Benjamin
Nearby Names Like Benjamin
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Benjamin
Ben Boy
#800 85,349 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 Benjamin side by side: Benjamin vs Ben Benjamin vs Bennett Benjamin vs Bentley
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Benjamin
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. "Benjamin: #11 Boys' Name - 826,830 Births, Peak 1989." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/benjamin. 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 Benjamin 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.