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Ben Name Meaning, Origins & History

Ben

Pronunciation: BEN

Meaning Son Origin Hebrew Gender Boy
BOYS RANK
#843
TREND
42
Peak Years
1918, 1915, 1919
Lowest Years
1899, 1903, 1901
Energy Archetype
Emotional & Intuitive

Rank shows the name’s position among U.S. baby names for each gender in 2025. Trend shows how many places it rose or fell since 2024. Rank 1 is the most popular. Based on U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) data. Peak and lowest years are based on the number of boys named Ben in the available records.

Fun Facts About the Name Ben

  • An established favorite: Ben held a place in the U.S. top 100 for 32 consecutive years, from 1880 through 1911.
  • More than 85 thousand babies named Ben: U.S. records list 85,808 babies given the name Ben from 1880 through 2025. Even 467 girls received the name Ben - about 1 girl for every 183 boys.

What Does the Name Ben Mean?

Ben is a Hebrew name meaning "son" and a short form of the Hebrew name Benjamin (Binyamin, בִּנְיָמִין). The first element of Benjamin is ben (בֵּן), "son." The second element yamin (יָמִין) means "right hand" or "south," so Benjamin is usually explained as "son of the right hand" or "son of the south." The exact sense of the second element is uncertain, and both translations appear in reference works.

Ben also stands alone as a Hebrew male name meaning "son," and it appears in Hebrew compounds and patronymics such as Ben-Zion and Ben-Ami. In English, Ben is occasionally a short form of Benedict or Bennett, names from Latin Benedictus, "blessed." That derivation is separate from the Hebrew name.

Ben Name History & Origins

The Hebrew Bible includes a man named Ben in 1 Chronicles 15:18, listed among the Levites who served in the time of David. The more common source of the English name Ben, however, is Benjamin. In the Book of Genesis, Benjamin is the youngest son of Jacob and Rachel. Rachel, dying after giving birth, names him Ben-oni, often translated "son of my sorrow" or "son of my affliction." Jacob renames him Benjamin. The tribe of Benjamin became one of the twelve tribes of Israel, and the apostle Paul identifies himself as a Benjaminite in Romans 11:1 and Philippians 3:5.

The name Benjamin passed into Greek as Beniamin (Βενιαμίν) and into Latin as Beniamin or Benjamin. It appears in English through medieval biblical and liturgical use. The short form Ben is found in English writing and records, and it is the form used for the playwright Ben Jonson and for Benjamin Franklin. In modern Hebrew, Ben is a common given name in its own right, meaning "son," and it also appears in family names and compounds.

Ben is not always from Benjamin. In some English-speaking families it is a short form of Benedict or Bennett, and the element Ben- in Scottish place names such as Ben Nevis comes from Gaelic beinn, "mountain," which is unrelated to the personal name.

How Popular is the Name Ben?

Ben remained among the top 100 boy names in the U.S. from 1880 to 1911. Its highest annual birth count was in 1918, and people born that year turn 108 in 2026.

U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.

Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.

Famous People Named Ben

Ben Affleck
Ben Affleck
Ben McKenzie
Ben McKenzie
Ben Stiller
Ben Stiller

Explore Name Lists Featuring Ben

Carl appears in several baby name collections based on U.S. popularity records, naming trends, and name characteristics. Explore these lists to discover other names with similar histories, styles, or features.

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How the Name Ben Shapes Your Personality and Life?

You can go to great heights and equally great depths. You are emotional and fixed in your opinions. You are hospitable, sentimental, often psychic, sometimes moody. You are ruled by love and the lack of it and feel a need to be encouraged and appreciated. You have an eventful, exciting life. You are versatile and have the ability to learn easily.

Creative and outgoing, you are always looking for an opportunity to show your abilities, especially before audience. You are very flexible and like to feel appreciated. You are looking for chances to mix with others socially and to communicate your ideas. You like to talk and can easily relate to different cultures and concepts. The biggest challenge for you is uncertainty. Easily getting bored, you can move from one job to another, switch projects and lovers. The high creative force can lead you either to happiness or unhappiness. If you understand your goals, if you can make major decisions in life and follow it directly and straight up without worry and uncertainty, you are able to achieve great heights.

✦ Ben's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Ben's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.
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