Benson
Meaning
surname, "son of Ben(edict)"
The story
Benson is the son of Ben, Benedict's blessing passed through the surname mill, and the family above it is enormous: Benjamin, the anchor, about 823,900 with its own story here, and Ben the everyday form inside both. The record is one of the ledger's steadiest low burns: real use every decade since the 1890s, between about 20 and 640 for a century, then the surname wave found it, about 1,300 in the 2000s, cresting at 5,200 in the 2010s, with 3,800 so far this decade, nearly all boys, about 14,300 to 30. The -son squad keeps adding members because the formula holds: a warm first name one respectful step away. A blessing in the root, a century of patience in the record, and the wave finally at its door.
Popularity, 1890–2024
Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Benson peaked in the 2020s.
See popularity in Brazil
Popularity in Brazil
61 people · the #58,130 first name in Brazil · median age 31
Among people named Benson living in Brazil at the 2022 census, more were born in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Source: IBGE, Censo Demográfico 2022
When you meet Benson
Most people given the name Benson in the United States are children or teenagers today. The name belongs to this generation.
Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.
The Benson deep dive
Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Benson truly comes from, how it traveled, and what a century of records reveals. If you have grown a tree on nametree, it also considers how Benson fits with your family’s names and surname.
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