Bane
A masculine name meaning "destruction, ruin" from Old French.
Name Census estimates that about 1,013 living Americans carry the first name Bane. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Bane today is around 11 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Bane births was 2013 (121 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Bane. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Bane is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 11 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
1.0K
~ 1 in 338,356 Americans
Peak year
2013
121 babies that year
Average age
11
years old
2024 SSA rank
#3,159
Tracked since 1997
Popularity
Bane: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Bane from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 664 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Bane remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Bane by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Bane during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Banes live
The SSA's state-level files cover 11 states and territories. California, Florida, Texas recorded the most babies named Bane, while Utah, North Carolina, Iowa recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 21 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Bane
The name Bane has its origins in the Old English language, deriving from the word "bana," which means "slayer" or "killer." It is believed to have emerged as a name during the Anglo-Saxon period in Britain, roughly between the 5th and 11th centuries AD. The name was commonly used to refer to someone who was seen as a formidable warrior or a bringer of destruction.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Bane can be found in the medieval epic poem "Beowulf," which is considered one of the most important works of Old English literature. In this poem, the character Bane is depicted as a fierce warrior who battles against the monster Grendel. This association with bravery and heroism likely contributed to the name's popularity among the Anglo-Saxons.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Bane. One of the earliest examples is Bane the Cruel, a Viking chieftain who lived in the 9th century AD and was known for his ruthless raids along the coasts of Europe. Another notable figure was Bane the Brash, a legendary English outlaw from the 12th century, who was said to have robbed from the rich and given to the poor, much like the folk hero Robin Hood.
In the 13th century, a French crusader named Bane de Châtillon gained fame for his exploits during the Seventh Crusade, where he fought alongside King Louis IX of France. His bravery and skill in battle earned him the nickname "Bane the Bold."
During the Renaissance period, a Italian artist named Bane Astolfo (1460-1542) made a name for himself as a skilled painter and sculptor, contributing to the flourishing of the arts in Italy during that time.
In more recent times, one of the most well-known individuals with the name Bane was Bane Nindžić (1912-1988), a Serbian partisan fighter who played a crucial role in the resistance against Nazi occupation during World War II. He later became a prominent political figure in the former Yugoslavia.
While the name Bane may have originated from a word associated with violence and destruction, its historical usage has often been linked to bravery, heroism, and the pursuit of justice. The name continues to hold a powerful and evocative quality, reflecting the enduring legacy of its Anglo-Saxon roots.
People
Bane + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Bane as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with B
Other first names starting with B with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Bane: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Bane?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,013 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Bane going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 338,356 US residents.
Is Bane a common name?
We classify Bane as "Rare". It ranks above 90.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,021 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Bane most popular?
The single biggest year for Bane was 2013, when 121 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Bane is about 11 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Bane a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Bane in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.