Ben
Literal root meaning: “son of the right/south or son of days”
About the name Ben
Ben is a boy name with Biblical Hebrew roots, literally “son of the right/south or son of days”. It is related to Benjamin, which is where the meaning comes from.
It has a classic, short & sweet feel. In 2025, Ben ranked #843 for boys in the US, with 292 babies given the name. Its peak year since 1940 was 1962. Since 2000, 100% of US babies named Ben were boys.
Etymology
A shortening of Benjamin, which comes from Biblical Hebrew, meaning literally “son of the right/south or son of days”.
Name meaning adapted from Wiktionary (“Ben”, “Benjamin”) by Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- US rank 2025
- #843
- In 2015
- #736
- Babies in 2025
- 292
Popularity of Ben, 1940–2025
Latest SSA data: 2025.
Popularity data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby names (public domain; names given to at least 5 babies of one sex per year).
Hello, world
Ben
Your last name
born on your big day
7 LB 4 OZ · 20 IN
The Baby Kit
See Ben on a birth announcement
Birth announcements, shower invitations, nursery wall art and milestone cards, all personalized with Ben. Type your details once and print at home or at any print shop.
Nicknames for Ben
Ben is already short and sweet, so it doesn't usually get a nickname.
Names similar to Ben
Name meanings marked or linked “Wiktionary” are adapted from Wiktionary by Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; each name page links its source entry.