Benjamin
#10,917 for girls in 2025, 8 births · #11 for boys in 2025, 9,762 births
Given to boys 99.7% of the time
Showing
- Peak · boys
- 2016 · 14,686 births
- Debut · boys
- 490 births
- In top 100 · boys
- 105 yrsof 146 years
- Total births · boys
- 826,830since 1880
Benjamin over time
boys
Rank among boys' names. Click any year to open it.
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.
Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.
Show data table
| Year | girls | boys | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rank | births | rank | births | |
| 2025 | #10,917 | 8 | #11 | 9,762 |
| 2024 | #13,477 | 6 | #11 | 9,865 |
| 2023 | #11,169 | 8 | #11 | 10,224 |
| 2022 | #9,680 | 10 | #9 | 10,912 |
| 2021 | #8,464 | 12 | #7 | 11,895 |
| 2020 | #9,546 | 10 | #7 | 12,264 |
| 2019 | #7,716 | 14 | #7 | 13,044 |
| 2018 | #6,010 | 20 | #6 | 13,488 |
| 2017 | #10,689 | 9 | #6 | 13,858 |
| 2016 | #8,875 | 12 | #6 | 14,686 |
| 2015 | #6,721 | 18 | #10 | 13,732 |
| 2014 | #6,987 | 17 | #12 | 13,830 |
| 2013 | #6,462 | 19 | #14 | 13,515 |
| 2012 | #7,804 | 15 | #16 | 12,835 |
| 2011 | #5,543 | 24 | #19 | 13,082 |
| 2010 | #5,771 | 23 | #22 | 12,439 |
| 2009 | #9,975 | 11 | #19 | 13,123 |
| 2008 | #6,130 | 22 | #25 | 12,958 |
| 2007 | #7,394 | 17 | #26 | 13,282 |
| 2006 | #9,286 | 12 | #24 | 13,766 |
| 2005 | #6,245 | 19 | #25 | 13,586 |
| 2004 | #2,503 | 67 | #25 | 13,832 |
| 2003 | #5,419 | 22 | #24 | 14,086 |
| 2002 | #4,621 | 26 | #27 | 13,492 |
| 2001 | #6,322 | 17 | #27 | 14,339 |
| 2000 | #4,791 | 24 | #26 | 14,845 |
| 1999 | #4,201 | 27 | #29 | 13,666 |
| 1998 | #5,799 | 17 | #30 | 13,061 |
| 1997 | #4,819 | 21 | #29 | 13,266 |
| 1996 | #4,306 | 24 | #29 | 13,784 |
| 1995 | #4,348 | 23 | #31 | 12,720 |
| 1994 | #3,448 | 32 | #31 | 12,791 |
| 1993 | #4,100 | 25 | #32 | 12,686 |
| 1992 | #3,680 | 29 | #33 | 13,455 |
| 1991 | #3,443 | 31 | #33 | 13,877 |
| 1990 | #2,900 | 39 | #33 | 14,633 |
| 1989 | #2,194 | 55 | #29 | 15,733 |
| 1988 | #1,454 | 94 | #30 | 15,187 |
| 1987 | #1,662 | 73 | #28 | 14,892 |
| 1986 | #1,472 | 85 | #30 | 13,793 |
| 1985 | #1,429 | 88 | #31 | 13,423 |
| 1984 | #1,550 | 73 | #30 | 13,266 |
| 1983 | #1,278 | 96 | #32 | 13,285 |
| 1982 | #1,429 | 85 | #33 | 13,805 |
| 1981 | #1,663 | 69 | #32 | 14,360 |
| 1980 | #1,494 | 80 | #32 | 13,622 |
| 1979 | #1,496 | 79 | #33 | 12,512 |
| 1978 | #1,523 | 73 | #34 | 11,414 |
| 1977 | #1,661 | 63 | #29 | 12,106 |
| 1976 | #1,775 | 53 | #32 | 10,672 |
| 1975 | #1,906 | 47 | #36 | 9,544 |
| 1974 | #2,133 | 38 | #46 | 7,183 |
| 1973 | #2,455 | 30 | #55 | 5,226 |
| 1972 | #3,404 | 18 | #64 | 4,498 |
| 1971 | #2,665 | 27 | #69 | 4,251 |
| 1970 | #3,030 | 22 | #81 | 3,926 |
| 1969 | #3,461 | 16 | #91 | 3,379 |
| 1968 | #2,708 | 22 | #99 | 3,017 |
| 1967 | #2,963 | 18 | #119 | 2,504 |
| 1966 | #3,558 | 13 | #130 | 2,377 |
| 1965 | #3,264 | 15 | #133 | 2,337 |
| 1964 | #3,879 | 12 | #131 | 2,503 |
| 1963 | #3,336 | 15 | #144 | 2,348 |
| 1962 | #3,293 | 15 | #140 | 2,507 |
| 1961 | #4,546 | 9 | #146 | 2,388 |
| 1960 | #4,437 | 9 | #155 | 2,249 |
| 1959 | #4,300 | 9 | #150 | 2,331 |
| 1958 | #3,543 | 12 | #150 | 2,257 |
| 1957 | #3,309 | 13 | #138 | 2,489 |
| 1956 | #5,952 | 5 | #131 | 2,472 |
| 1955 | #3,778 | 10 | #132 | 2,449 |
| 1954 | #3,967 | 9 | #132 | 2,452 |
| 1953 | #3,480 | 11 | #128 | 2,413 |
| 1952 | #4,123 | 8 | #122 | 2,440 |
| 1951 | #3,482 | 10 | #123 | 2,345 |
| 1950 | #3,962 | 8 | #123 | 2,185 |
| 1949 | #4,235 | 7 | #135 | 2,016 |
| 1948 | #5,243 | 5 | #139 | 1,963 |
| 1947 | #4,345 | 7 | #144 | 1,931 |
| 1946 | #3,994 | 7 | #146 | 1,655 |
| 1945 | #3,388 | 8 | #140 | 1,562 |
| 1944 | #3,378 | 8 | #130 | 1,622 |
| 1943 | #2,695 | 12 | #130 | 1,719 |
| 1942 | — | #129 | 1,692 | |
| 1941 | #3,252 | 8 | #124 | 1,578 |
| 1940 | #3,863 | 6 | #128 | 1,446 |
| 1939 | #4,250 | 5 | #124 | 1,423 |
| 1938 | #3,181 | 8 | #125 | 1,416 |
| 1937 | #3,800 | 6 | #119 | 1,422 |
| 1936 | — | #123 | 1,354 | |
| 1935 | #3,431 | 7 | #123 | 1,409 |
| 1934 | #3,449 | 7 | #117 | 1,483 |
| 1933 | #2,688 | 10 | #118 | 1,413 |
| 1932 | #2,490 | 12 | #115 | 1,539 |
| 1931 | #3,226 | 8 | #113 | 1,560 |
| 1930 | #3,345 | 8 | #115 | 1,594 |
| 1929 | #2,011 | 17 | #107 | 1,695 |
| 1928 | #2,194 | 16 | #106 | 1,805 |
| 1927 | #3,875 | 7 | #101 | 1,925 |
| 1926 | #2,569 | 13 | #98 | 1,898 |
| 1925 | #3,664 | 8 | #93 | 2,069 |
| 1924 | #5,061 | 5 | #89 | 2,221 |
| 1923 | #4,967 | 5 | #86 | 2,316 |
| 1922 | #3,655 | 8 | #82 | 2,378 |
| 1921 | #3,400 | 9 | #82 | 2,412 |
| 1920 | #4,398 | 6 | #83 | 2,309 |
| 1919 | #3,005 | 10 | #79 | 2,279 |
| 1918 | — | #79 | 2,431 | |
| 1917 | #4,594 | 5 | #76 | 2,386 |
| 1916 | #4,417 | 5 | #79 | 2,186 |
| 1915 | #3,434 | 7 | #71 | 2,241 |
| 1914 | #3,618 | 5 | #70 | 1,823 |
| 1913 | — | #70 | 1,466 | |
| 1912 | — | #67 | 1,272 | |
| 1911 | — | #64 | 690 | |
| 1910 | — | #70 | 536 | |
| 1909 | — | #63 | 489 | |
| 1908 | — | #63 | 480 | |
| 1907 | — | #64 | 460 | |
| 1906 | — | #71 | 352 | |
| 1905 | — | #68 | 379 | |
| 1904 | — | #68 | 358 | |
| 1903 | — | #69 | 324 | |
| 1902 | — | #61 | 374 | |
| 1901 | — | #56 | 343 | |
| 1900 | — | #57 | 450 | |
| 1899 | — | #57 | 335 | |
| 1898 | — | #55 | 405 | |
| 1897 | — | #54 | 378 | |
| 1896 | — | #51 | 416 | |
| 1895 | — | #48 | 452 | |
| 1894 | — | #44 | 469 | |
| 1893 | — | #42 | 482 | |
| 1892 | — | #42 | 525 | |
| 1891 | — | #41 | 461 | |
| 1890 | — | #37 | 537 | |
| 1889 | — | #21 | 760 | |
| 1888 | — | #25 | 781 | |
| 1887 | — | #34 | 473 | |
| 1886 | — | #39 | 463 | |
| 1885 | — | #38 | 464 | |
| 1884 | — | #38 | 509 | |
| 1883 | — | #31 | 508 | |
| 1882 | — | #34 | 478 | |
| 1881 | — | #31 | 481 | |
| 1880 | — | #32 | 490 | |
First appearance
1880
In the first year the SSA published name data, Benjamin was already there! It came in at #32, and was given to 490 baby boys.
Quietest stretch: 1893–1908, when fewer than 490 boys a year got the name.
Where Benjamin is popular in 1988
- Rank in state
- Top 10
- 11–50
- 51–100
- 101–500
- 501+
- Not published
Hover or tap a state for its numbers.
Top states · boys
- Maine#9 · 1 in 44
- New Hampshire#9 · 1 in 49
- Vermont#10 · 1 in 49
- Wisconsin#12 · 1 in 56
- Minnesota#13 · 1 in 58
Best ever in a state: #1 in Massachusetts, 2012.
Show every state
| State | Rank | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maine | #9 | 165 | 1 in 44 |
| New Hampshire | #9 | 156 | 1 in 49 |
| Vermont | #10 | 67 | 1 in 49 |
| Wisconsin | #12 | 582 | 1 in 56 |
| Minnesota | #13 | 529 | 1 in 58 |
| Iowa | #14 | 297 | 1 in 60 |
| Nebraska | #17 | 148 | 1 in 74 |
| Alaska | #18 | 64 | 1 in 67 |
| North Dakota | #19 | 67 | 1 in 69 |
| Oregon | #20 | 209 | 1 in 88 |
| South Dakota | #20 | 65 | 1 in 72 |
| Colorado | #21 | 289 | 1 in 84 |
| Georgia | #22 | 448 | 1 in 104 |
| Utah | #22 | 173 | 1 in 94 |
| Idaho | #23 | 69 | 1 in 92 |
| Massachusetts | #23 | 498 | 1 in 83 |
| Mississippi | #25 | 128 | 1 in 128 |
| Montana | #25 | 53 | 1 in 87 |
| Indiana | #26 | 440 | 1 in 88 |
| Virginia | #26 | 399 | 1 in 101 |
| Washington | #26 | 330 | 1 in 99 |
| South Carolina | #27 | 182 | 1 in 123 |
| Michigan | #28 | 677 | 1 in 96 |
| Rhode Island | #28 | 75 | 1 in 84 |
| Connecticut | #29 | 209 | 1 in 104 |
| District of Columbia | #29 | 74 | 1 in 112 |
| Maryland | #29 | 283 | 1 in 108 |
| Ohio | #29 | 777 | 1 in 99 |
| Arizona | #30 | 246 | 1 in 120 |
| Tennessee | #30 | 299 | 1 in 113 |
| West Virginia | #30 | 108 | 1 in 96 |
| Kansas | #31 | 155 | 1 in 108 |
| North Carolina | #31 | 360 | 1 in 121 |
| Alabama | #32 | 207 | 1 in 125 |
| Illinois | #32 | 670 | 1 in 125 |
| Louisiana | #32 | 226 | 1 in 140 |
| Missouri | #32 | 340 | 1 in 107 |
| Pennsylvania | #32 | 741 | 1 in 107 |
| Kentucky | #33 | 226 | 1 in 104 |
| Arkansas | #34 | 121 | 1 in 121 |
| New Mexico | #35 | 82 | 1 in 139 |
| New York | #35 | 824 | 1 in 157 |
| Oklahoma | #37 | 151 | 1 in 137 |
| Delaware | #38 | 35 | 1 in 126 |
| Florida | #40 | 475 | 1 in 178 |
| Texas | #40 | 833 | 1 in 173 |
| California | #41 | 1,283 | 1 in 197 |
| Hawaii | #42 | 43 | 1 in 157 |
| Wyoming | #42 | 22 | 1 in 116 |
| Nevada | #43 | 46 | 1 in 157 |
| New Jersey | #44 | 241 | 1 in 213 |
Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the boys born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.
See more about Benjamin
Momentum · boys
Holding steady
- Held #11 since 2024
- 4 spots since 2020 (#7 → #11)
- 1 spot since 2015 (#10 → #11)
- Biggest jump: 20 spots in 1968 (#119 → #99)
- Biggest drop: 16 spots in 1890 (#21 → #37)
Rise & fade · boys
136 yrs to peak
- Debuted 1880
- Peaked 2016 at #6 (14,686 births)
- Not yet halved from its peak
Top of the charts · boys
Top 10 for 8 yrs
- Top 10: 8 yrs · run 2015–2022
- Top 100: 105 yrs · run 1968–2025
- Top 1,000: 146 yrs · run 1880–2025
Share of babies · boys
1 in 125
- Highest: 1 in 125 boys born in 1981 were named Benjamin (0.80%)
- Latest: 1 in 175 boys born in 2025 (0.57%)
- Its best rank, #6 in 2016, was only 1 in 129 (0.77%) — a smaller share of a much bigger birth year
Era · boys
The 1980s
- 17.1% of all boys named Benjamin (141,366) were born in this decade
- Comeback: #21 (1889) → #155 (1960) → #6 (2016)
Show by decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank | Avg rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 5,407 | #21 (1889) | #32 |
| 1890s | 4,460 | #37 (1890) | #47 |
| 1900s | 4,009 | #56 (1901) | #64 |
| 1910s | 17,310 | #64 (1911) | #73 |
| 1920s | 21,028 | #82 (1921) | #93 |
| 1930s | 14,613 | #113 (1931) | #119 |
| 1940s | 17,184 | #124 (1941) | #135 |
| 1950s | 23,833 | #122 (1952) | #133 |
| 1960s | 25,609 | #91 (1969) | #129 |
| 1970s | 81,332 | #29 (1977) | #48 |
| 1980s | 141,366 | #28 (1987) | #31 |
| 1990s | 133,939 | #29 (1996) | #31 |
| 2000s | 137,309 | #19 (2009) | #25 |
| 2010s | 134,509 | #6 (2016) | #12 |
| 2020s | 64,922 | #7 (2020) | #9 |
All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 boys in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.
Benjamin in 1988
girls
#1,454
94 births · 1 in 18,945 girls
boys
#30
15,187 births · 1 in 126 boys
Top girls' names in 1988
Top boys' names in 1988
More about 1988
girls
1,780,854 girls got a published name in 1988; 1 in 18,945 of them was named Benjamin, which outranked 89.5% of the 13,883 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 17.3% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).
Ranked beside Benjamin
- #1,446Serina95
- #1,446Shyla95
- #1,446Tamera95
- #1,454Benjamin94
- #1,454Amina94
- #1,454Angelia94
- #1,454Consuelo94
- #1,465Alyce93
- #1,465Anastacia93
- #1,465Chassity93
Tied with 10 names at #1,454; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.
Biggest movers since 1987
Risers
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.
boys
1,914,283 boys got a published name in 1988; 1 in 126 of them was named Benjamin, which outranked 99.6% of the 8,495 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 21.4% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).
Ranked beside Benjamin
Biggest movers since 1987
Risers
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.