Boys' name · since 1887
Benson
Benson has 14,312 recorded births since 1887 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2025 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #1,001 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #279 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 14,312
- born since 1887
- 2010s
- peak decade
Yes -- Benson is the #279 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 14,312 recorded since 1887.
Social Security Administration records show Benson recorded 14,312 times among boys since 1887, holding rank #279 nationally today, ahead of 98% of boys, peaking in the 2010s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1887 to 2025.
- #1,001 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #279 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 14,312 born since 1887
- 2010s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Benson ranks #1,001 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #279 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 14,312 born since 1887, peaking in the 2010s.
- #1,001 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #279 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 14,312
- born since 1887
- 2010s
- peak decade
Benson's 14,312 recorded births place it above 97.79% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
44 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
How Benson compares
14,312 Top 8% higher than 92% of 13,930 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
Benson's all-time total is 39x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Benson | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 14,312 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 1,214 | 34 | 22,252 |
Benson's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Benson's full recorded timeline at 1962, 86% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 14% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1888, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2025 peak of 1,214 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Benson popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1887–2025
- Peak year (2025)
- 1,214
- Annual births at peak, across 139 years of records
Benson popularity over time - girls
32 total births recorded since 2015 (Benson as girls' name)
Benson by decade
2010s is the heaviest window (5,154 births, 36% of the file).
2010s was Benson's strongest decade.
5,154 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 36% of all-time use.
Benson births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 23
1880s
23 births
- 1890s 22
1890s
22 births
- 1900s 34
1900s
34 births
- 1910s 285
1910s
285 births
- 1920s 396
1920s
396 births
- 1930s 290
1930s
290 births
- 1940s 388
1940s
388 births
- 1950s 460
1950s
460 births
- 1960s 432
1960s
432 births
- 1970s 509
1970s
509 births
- 1980s 540
1980s
540 births
- 1990s 643
1990s
643 births
- 2000s 1,318
2000s
1,318 births
- 2010s
2010s
5,154 births
- 2020s
2020s
3,818 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 5,154 births (36% of all-time use).
How Benson 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 Benson's total volume
Benson by state
Where Benson concentrates geographically, total births since 1887
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 1,163 | 8.1% |
| #2 | Utah | | 897 | 6.3% |
| #3 | New York | | 759 | 5.3% |
| #4 | Texas | | 611 | 4.3% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 514 | 3.6% |
| #6 | Pennsylvania | | 419 | 2.9% |
| #7 | Florida | | 396 | 2.8% |
| #8 | Indiana | | 353 | 2.5% |
1,163 of 14,312 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 44 reporting states.
Benson appears in 44 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Benson's data
- Benson's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (5,154 total births) through the 2020s (3,818) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Bensons (1,163 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Benson
Nearby Names Like Benson
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Benson
Compare Benson side by side: Benson vs Benjamin Benson vs Ben Benson vs Bennett
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Benson
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Benson: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2025)
Similar record span (~138 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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, 1887–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
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 Benson 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 August 2026.