Benson
Boy name · #279 in 2025 · Well-known
In 2025, 1,214 baby boys were named Benson, placing it at #279 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #472, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 1,483 boys born in 2025 was named Benson.
The 138-year story
Benson first appears in the Social Security records in 1887, when 9 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2025, with 1,214 babies and a rank of #279. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Benson per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Benson against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Benson in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Benson is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "well-known". A low score means broad familiarity: teachers will spell it right, and your child may share it with a classmate. For many families that's a feature, not a bug.
Where Benson is most common
Geography matters for names, and Benson is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Benson is most common in SD (4.9 per 1,000), ND (4.8 per 1,000), MT (2.9 per 1,000), UT (2.8 per 1,000), NE (2.7 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.8 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Benson is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Benson
Statistically, parents drawn to Benson tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Kayson, Emerson, Samson, Lawson, and Colson.
KaysonEmersonSamsonLawsonColsonBrysonKysonKarson
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Benson | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,214 | #279 |
| 2024 | 729 | #436 |
| 2023 | 454 | #617 |
| 2022 | 428 | #645 |
| 2021 | 479 | #582 |
| 2020 | 514 | #552 |
| 2019 | 566 | #507 |
| 2018 | 621 | #468 |
| 2017 | 625 | #475 |
| 2016 | 729 | #428 |
| 2015 | 631 | #472 |
| 2014 | 528 | #525 |
| 2013 | 447 | #574 |
| 2012 | 433 | #590 |
| 2011 | 314 | #724 |
| 2010 | 260 | #823 |
| 2009 | 193 | #1014 |
| 2008 | 171 | #1089 |
| 2007 | 174 | #1070 |
| 2006 | 160 | #1097 |
| 2005 | 134 | #1191 |
| 2004 | 130 | #1190 |
| 2003 | 102 | #1341 |
| 2002 | 102 | #1305 |
| 2001 | 76 | #1572 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Benson a popular boy name?
Benson ranked #279 among boys in 2025 with 1,214 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #472.
When was the name Benson most popular?
Benson peaked in 2025, when 1,214 American boys received the name (ranked #279 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Benson?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 1,483 newborn American boys was named Benson. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "well-known".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.