Ben is a distinctive choice, ranked #487 in 2025. Your child is likely to be the only Ben in their class.
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UK Rank 2025
#487
US Rank #843
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About the Name Ben
Ben has seen a notable decline in recent years, dropping 182 places in five years. It was most popular in 2002 at #21 — parents choosing it today are making a deliberately counter-trend decision. The name has been a consistent presence in UK records since 1996. It has featured in the UK top 100 for 16 years, demonstrating solid mainstream recognition.
Ben is fairly common in the UK, so your child is very likely to be the only Ben in their class.
In the US it sits at #801 — notably more popular in the UK than across the Atlantic.
⭐ Famous People Named Ben
Ben Savage — Bennett Joseph Savage is an American actor.
Big Ben — Big Ben is the nickname for the Great Bell of the Great Clock of Westminster, and, by extension, for the clock tower which stands at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London, England.
Ben Jacobson — Ben Scott Jacobson is an American basketball coach.
Biographical summaries are shortened from Wikipedia and are used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence; those summaries remain available under that same licence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the name Ben
Unlikely. With around 79 UK babies named Ben per year, your child will almost certainly be the only Ben in their class, and possibly the only one in the whole school.
Ben is declining: down 160 places since 2020, to #487 in 2025. It peaked at #21 in 2002.
Ben is more popular in the UK (#509) than in the US (#801). Names with strong rankings in both countries tend to have broad cross-cultural appeal, working well for international families or those with ties to both nations.
Notable people named Ben include: Ben Savage, Big Ben and Ben Jacobson. Short summaries for each appear below.
Ben ranks #801 in the US top 1,000 (2024). It's recognised in America but considerably more popular in the UK.
79
UK babies named Ben (2025)
< 1
Expected classmates with this name (class of 28)
~0.0
In a school of 600
↓ 160 places
Rank change (last 5 years)
🏫 Who else is in the room?
In a typical UK class of 28, highlighted children share the name Ben
Almost certainly the only Ben in the class
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UK Popularity (1996–2025)
Rank and birth count · ONS official data
US Popularity (2020–2025)
Rank · SSA official data
✨ Similar names to Ben
Names with a similar style — each with their own classroom story
Big Ben is the nickname for the Great Bell of the Great Clock of Westminster, and, by extension, for the clock tower which stands at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London, England.