Ben is a boy name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Ben means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Ben across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Ben has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Ben is a boy name of Hebrew origin meaning “son of the right hand”. a short form of Benjamin.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 85,816 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 36,307 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 6,784 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 2,892 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 7,745 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 2,427 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Ben per year, England & Wales (1996 to 2025). England & Wales peaked in 2002 (3,190/yr) · United States peaked in 1918 (1,293/yr) · Scotland peaked in 2004 (461/yr) · Ireland peaked in 2005 (401/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 2004 (226/yr).
Ben has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 1918, when it ranked #296 nationally (given to 1,293 babies that year).
Bennie · Benny · Bowen · Buna · Buena · Beuna · Bane · Boni
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