Benn
A variant of the Old English name Benna, meaning "ridge" or "sharp crest".
Name Census estimates that about 305 living Americans carry the first name Benn. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Benn today is around 45 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Benn births was 1980 (11 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Benn. 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.
People living today
305
~ 1 in 1,123,785 Americans
Peak year
1980
11 babies that year
Average age
45
years old
2018 SSA rank
#10,945
Tracked since 1915
Popularity
Benn: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Benn from the 1910s through to the 2010s, spanning 11 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 77 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1980s peak, Benn remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Benn 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 Benn during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Benn
The name Benn has its origins in the Old English language, derived from the word "benn," which means "a small hill or mound." It first appeared in the early medieval period, around the 5th to 7th centuries CE, and was primarily used in the Anglo-Saxon regions of what is now England.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Benn can be found in the Domesday Book, a historical record compiled in 1086 CE by order of William the Conqueror. The book mentions individuals with the name Benn, indicating its usage in England during the Norman period.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Benn. One of the most prominent was Benn Pitman (1822-1910), an English teacher and inventor who developed a widely used system of shorthand writing known as the "Benn Pitman" system. His work revolutionized the field of stenography and had a lasting impact on business communication.
Another individual of historical significance was Benn Wolfe Levy (1900-1973), an American lawyer and civil rights activist who played a crucial role in the desegregation of public schools in the United States. He was instrumental in the landmark Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education, which overturned the "separate but equal" doctrine and paved the way for the integration of schools.
In the realm of literature, Benn Howard (1901-1993) was an American author and critic known for his works on Western fiction and his contributions to the genre of the American West. He authored several novels and short stories that explored themes of frontier life and the exploration of the American wilderness.
The name Benn also has religious connections, particularly in the Christian faith. Benn of Biscop (628-690) was an Anglo-Saxon monk and scholar who founded the twin monasteries of Monkwearmouth and Jarrow in present-day Tyne and Wear, England. These monasteries became important centers of learning and played a significant role in the spread of Christianity in the region.
Lastly, Benn Alfred Becknell (1788-1856) was an American trader and explorer who established the Santa Fe Trail, one of the most important commercial routes in the American West during the 19th century. His efforts opened up new trade opportunities and facilitated the exchange of goods between the United States and the territories of present-day New Mexico and Mexico.
People
Benn + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Benn 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
Benn: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Benn?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 305 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Benn 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 1,123,785 US residents.
Is Benn a common name?
We classify Benn as "Very Rare". It ranks above 79.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 382 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Benn most popular?
The single biggest year for Benn was 1980, when 11 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Benn is about 45 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Benn a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Benn 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.