Bex
A diminutive form of the name Rebecca, from Hebrew meaning "to bind".
Name Census estimates that about 111 living Americans carry the first name Bex. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 79.5% of registrations being male. The average person named Bex today is around 5 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Bex births was 2024 (27 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Bex. 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
111
~ 1 in 3,087,877 Americans
Peak year
2024
27 babies that year
Average age
5
years old
2024 SSA rank
#5,249
Tracked since 2015
Gender
Gender distribution for Bex
Bex is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 112 total registrations, 89 (79.5%) were male and 23 (20.5%) were female.
Bex as a male name
- Ranked #5,249 in 2024
- 18 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2024 (18 births)
Bex as a female name
- Ranked #10,376 in 2024
- 9 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2024 (9 births)
Popularity
Bex: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Bex from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 92 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Bex 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 Bex 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 Bex
The given name Bex is believed to have originated from the Old English word "beorc," which means "birch tree." This suggests that the name may have its roots in the Anglo-Saxon culture, dating back to the 5th to 11th centuries. It is possible that the name was initially used as a reference to the birch tree or as a descriptor for someone who lived near a birch forest.
Some linguists have also linked the name Bex to the Old Norse word "bekkr," which means "stream" or "brook." This connection could indicate that the name was used to describe someone who lived near a stream or worked with water in some capacity.
In its early forms, the name was often spelled as "Becca" or "Becka," and it was primarily used as a feminine name. However, there are historical records of the name being used for both males and females during the Middle Ages.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bex can be found in the Domesday Book, a manuscript compiled in 1086 under the orders of William the Conqueror. This document mentions a landowner named Becca, who held lands in Hertfordshire, England.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Bex. One prominent example is Bex Palmer (1782-1859), an English painter and engraver known for his landscapes and portraits. Another is Bex Wilkinson (1915-2001), a British actress and singer who appeared in various stage productions and films during the mid-20th century.
In the literary world, Bex Marsh (1892-1965) was an American writer and journalist who covered World War I as a war correspondent. Her memoir, "A Woman in the War," provided insights into the experiences of female reporters during the conflict.
In the field of science, Bex Cartwright (1916-2008) was a pioneering British chemist who made significant contributions to the study of organometallic compounds and their applications in catalysis.
Lastly, Bex Summers (1944-2021) was a renowned Australian Indigenous artist and activist, renowned for her vibrant paintings that celebrated her cultural heritage and advocated for the rights of Aboriginal communities.
While the name Bex has been used throughout history, its popularity has fluctuated over time. However, it remains a unique and distinctive name with ties to various cultures and historical figures.
People
Bex + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Bex 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
Bex: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Bex?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 111 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Bex 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 3,087,877 US residents.
Is Bex a common name?
We classify Bex as "Very Rare". It ranks above 66.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 112 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Bex most popular?
The single biggest year for Bex was 2024, when 27 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Bex is about 5 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Bex in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Bex a male name?
Yes, 79.5% of people registered as Bex 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.
Is Bex still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Bex in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Bex can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are called Bex?
You can see how many Americans are named Bex on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.