How popular is the baby name Benjamin in the United States right now? How popular was it historically? Use the popularity graph and data table below to find out! Plus, see all the blog posts that mention the name Benjamin.

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Popularity of the baby name Benjamin


Posts that mention the name Benjamin

Popular baby names in Wyoming, 2022

Flag of Wyoming
Flag of Wyoming

I wasn’t planning to post baby name rankings for any individual U.S. state before the release of the SSA’s official national rankings (in May), but Wyoming’s were just too interesting to ignore.

Last year, landlocked Wyoming — the least populous U.S. state — welcomed 6,050 babies. The top names among these babies were Charlotte and Noah, according to Wyoming’s Department of Health.

Here are Wyoming’s top 10 girl names and top 10 boy names of 2022:

Girl names

  1. Charlotte
  2. Olivia
  3. Emma (tie)
  4. Hazel (tie)
  5. Harper
  6. Evelyn
  7. Paisley
  8. Eleanor (tie)
  9. Isabella (tie)
  10. Nova (tie)

Boy names

  1. Noah
  2. Henry
  3. Hudson
  4. Owen
  5. William (tie)
  6. Wyatt (tie)
  7. Benjamin (4-way tie)
  8. Bridger (4-way tie)
  9. John (4-way tie)
  10. Oliver (4-way tie)

Bridger! That’s a name I wasn’t expecting.

According to the SSA’s state-specific data, Bridger’s best showing in Wyoming so far (through 2021) was 20 baby boys in 2016. It ranked 16th state-wide that year.

Bridger is also seeing relatively strong usage in nearby states such as Idaho, North Dakota, and Utah.

I haven’t seen it pop up on any other state-produced set of rankings for 2022, though. It wasn’t among Mississippi’s top 25 boy names of 2022, for instance, or Arizona’s top 100 boy names of 2022 (PDF).

On a national level, Bridger isn’t anywhere near the top 10, but it does regularly rank within the boys’ top 1,000. Interestingly, usage jumped in 2021:

  • 2021: 356 baby boys named Bridger [rank: 721st]
  • 2020: 239 baby boys named Bridger [rank: 929th]
  • 2019: 242 baby boys named Bridger [rank: 901st]
  • 2018: 229 baby boys named Bridger [rank: 925th]

Here’s a visual:

Graph of the usage of the baby name Bridger in the U.S. since 1880
Usage of the baby name Bridger

I’m not sure what accounts for the sudden increase. The TV series Bridgerton? The Star Wars character Ezra Bridger? (Any ideas?)

What are your thoughts on the name Bridger? Where do you think Bridger ranked nationally in 2022?

Sources: Is Your Name Among Wyoming’s Favorites for New Babies? – Wyoming Department of Health, Wyoming – Wikipedia, SSA

Image: Adapted from Flag of Wyoming (public domain)

Popular and unique baby names in Alberta (Canada), 2022

Flag of Alberta
Flag of Alberta

Alberta, one of Canada’s three prairie provinces, shares a border with British Columbia, Northwest Territories, Saskatchewan, and the U.S. state of Montana.

Last year, Alberta welcomed 48,225 babies — over 24,000 boys and over 23,000 girls.

What were the most popular names among these babies? Olivia and Noah.

Here are Alberta’s top 50+ girl names and top 50 boy names of 2022:

Girl Names

  1. Olivia, 192 baby girls
  2. Sophia, 151
  3. Emma, 149
  4. Amelia, 133
  5. Harper, 125
  6. Charlotte, 117
  7. Ava, 115
  8. Isla, 101
  9. Lily, 100
  10. Chloe, 92
  11. Emily, 91 (tie)
  12. Isabella, 91 (tie)
  13. Abigail, 90
  14. Nora, 88
  15. Violet, 86
  16. Aria, 85
  17. Ivy, 83
  18. Mia, 82
  19. Hazel, 81 (tie)
  20. Zoey, 81 (tie)
  21. Ellie, 80 (3-way tie)
  22. Evelyn, 80 (3-way tie)
  23. Sophie, 80 (3-way tie)
  24. Ella, 79 (tie)
  25. Hannah, 79 (tie)
  26. Aurora, 75
  27. Willow, 74
  28. Eleanor, 73
  29. Scarlett, 72
  30. Elizabeth, 71 (tie)
  31. Mila, 71 (tie)
  32. Avery, 69
  33. Grace, 68
  34. Luna, 64
  35. Everly, 63
  36. Claire, 61 (tie)
  37. Maya, 61 (tie)
  38. Hailey, 60 (tie)
  39. Wren, 60 (tie)
  40. Alice, 58 (3-way tie)
  41. Isabelle, 58 (3-way tie)
  42. Madison, 58 (3-way tie)
  43. Emilia, 57 (3-way tie)
  44. Freya, 57 (3-way tie)
  45. Natalie, 57 (3-way tie)
  46. Ayla, 56
  47. Penelope, 53 (tie)
  48. Sadie, 53 (tie)
  49. Eliana, 51 (3-way tie)
  50. Nova, 51 (3-way tie)
  51. Quinn, 51 (3-way tie)

Boy Names

  1. Noah, 229 baby boys
  2. Liam, 176
  3. Theodore, 173
  4. Oliver, 172
  5. Jack, 159
  6. William, 146
  7. Benjamin, 138 (tie)
  8. James, 138 (tie)
  9. Henry, 136
  10. Lucas, 135
  11. Ethan, 130
  12. Jackson, 121
  13. Leo, 114
  14. Levi, 113
  15. Logan, 109 (tie)
  16. Wyatt, 109 (tie)
  17. Muhammad, 106
  18. Owen, 100
  19. Adam, 97
  20. Luke, 96
  21. Bennett, 94 (tie)
  22. Maverick, 94 (tie)
  23. Asher, 93
  24. Alexander, 92 (tie)
  25. Nathan, 92 (tie)
  26. Caleb, 91 (3-way tie)
  27. Daniel, 91 (3-way tie)
  28. Elijah, 91 (3-way tie)
  29. Thomas, 90
  30. Carter, 85 (tie)
  31. Theo, 85 (tie)
  32. Gabriel, 82
  33. Jacob, 80
  34. Lincoln, 79
  35. Aiden, 76 (tie)
  36. Hudson, 76 (tie)
  37. Grayson, 75 (tie)
  38. Walker, 75 (tie)
  39. Emmett, 73 (tie)
  40. Isaac, 73 (tie)
  41. Cooper, 70 (3-way tie)
  42. Luca, 70 (3-way tie)
  43. Samuel, 70 (3-way tie)
  44. Jasper, 69 (tie)
  45. Mason, 69 (tie)
  46. Arthur, 67 (3-way tie)
  47. David, 67 (3-way tie)
  48. Wesley, 67 (3-way tie)
  49. Nolan, 66 (tie)
  50. Parker, 66 (tie)

Nearly 13,000 names were registered in Alberta in 2022, and well over 8,000 of these names were given to a single baby. Here’s a selection of the baby names bestowed just once in the province last year:

Unique Girl NamesUnique Boy Names
Acâhkosak, Buffalo-Omeasoo, Cloudlyn, Dixita, Equinox, Febechi, Goncharov, Humanitas, Izcalli, Jenniferjeet, Kanak, Letley, Midnightsky, Mikwan, Nîpin, O’Telly, Philia, Pridhi, Qana, Rooi, Sîsîkwan, Tessandra, Undina, Virianzel, Waylynn, Xiantal, Yseult, ZeebellaAudacieux, Bramber, Chrisser, Dutch, Etoile-Soleil, Frontier, Gavroche, Hendricks, Innis, Jinmu, Kikotawân, Lazael, Mîhkokwan, Mihkwaskâw, Navi, Okihcihtâw, Okîsikow, Piyesiwak, Quezon, Rocker, Spruce, Trudeau, Uazuva, Vlix, Walt, Xildian, Yelta, Ziggs

Some possible explanations and/or influences for a few of the above:

  • Acâhkosak means “stars” in Cree.
  • Audacieux means “audacious, bold” in French.
  • Etoile-Soleil means “star-sun” in French.
  • Gavroche is a young character from the Victor Hugo novel Les Misérables (1862).
  • Humanitas is a Latin word meaning “human nature” and “humaneness” (among other things).
  • Izcalli, the last month of the Aztec calendar, means “stone house” in Nahuatl.
  • Kikotawân is based on the Cree word kotawân, meaning “campfire.”
  • Mîhkokwan means “red feather” in Cree.
  • Mihkwaskâw means “red sky” or “red clouds at sunset” in Cree.
  • Mikwan means “feather” in Cree.
  • Nîpin means “summer” in Cree.
  • Okihcihtâw means “warrior” in Cree.
  • Okîsikow means “angel” in Cree.
  • Piyesiwak means “thunder” in Cree.
  • Pridhi is based on a Sanskrit word meaning “circumference” and “halo” (among other things).
  • Quezon is both a province and a city in the Philippines.
  • Sîsîkwan means “rattle” in Cree.
  • Trudeau is the surname of Justin Trudeau, Canada’s current prime minister.

Finally, here’s a link to Alberta’s 2021 rankings, if you’d like to compare last year to the year before.

Sources: Alberta’s top baby names – Alberta.ca, Top baby names of 2022 revealed – Alberta.ca, Online Cree Dictionary, Wiktionary

Image: Adapted from Flag of Alberta (public domain)

Popular baby names in the Netherlands, 2022

Flag of the Netherlands
Flag of the Netherlands

The country of the Netherlands, located in Northwestern Europe, is bordered by both Belgium and Germany.

Last year, from January to November, the Netherlands welcomed more than 168,000 babies — over 82,000 girls and over 86,000 boys.

What were the most popular names among these babies? Emma and Noah.

Here are the Netherlands’ top 50 girl names and top 50 boy names of 2022:

Girl Names

  1. Emma, 677 baby girls
  2. Julia, 655
  3. Mila, 624
  4. Sophie, 620
  5. Olivia, 591
  6. Yara, 559
  7. Saar, 532 – short form of Sarah
  8. Nora, 524
  9. Tess, 509
  10. Noor, 501
  11. Milou, 489
  12. Sara, 486
  13. Liv, 482
  14. Zoë, 473
  15. Evi, 466
  16. Anna, 455
  17. Luna, 451
  18. Lotte, 423 (tie)
  19. Nina, 423 (tie)
  20. Eva, 405
  21. Emily, 389
  22. Lauren, 386
  23. Maeve, 384
  24. Lina, 383
  25. Elin, 379
  26. Maud, 368
  27. Sarah, 350
  28. Nova, 345
  29. Loïs, 340 (tie)
  30. Sofia, 340 (tie)
  31. Mia, 339
  32. Sofie, 332
  33. Lieke, 330
  34. Fleur, 328
  35. Isa, 325
  36. Fien, 324 – short form of Josefien
  37. Lynn, 319
  38. Hailey, 312
  39. Roos, 297
  40. Julie, 290
  41. Livia, 288
  42. Fenna, 284 – feminine form of Fen (a Frisian short form of Ferdinand)
  43. Ella, 279
  44. Sophia, 275
  45. Bo, 274
  46. Lily, 252
  47. Ivy, 248
  48. Romée, 246
  49. Lena, 244
  50. Noé, 241

Boy Names

  1. Noah, 871 baby boys
  2. Liam, 666
  3. Luca, 664
  4. Lucas, 652
  5. Mees, 621 – short form of Bartholomeus
  6. Finn, 596
  7. James, 594
  8. Milan, 591
  9. Levi, 585
  10. Sem, 582
  11. Daan, 538
  12. Noud, 533 – short form of Arnoud (the Dutch form of Arnold)
  13. Luuk, 518
  14. Adam, 508
  15. Sam, 495
  16. Bram, 470
  17. Zayn, 447
  18. Mason, 440
  19. Benjamin, 409
  20. Boaz, 369
  21. Siem, 360 – short form of Simon
  22. Guus, 356
  23. Morris, 353
  24. Olivier, 349 (tie)
  25. Thomas, 349 (tie)
  26. Teun, 346 – short form of Antonius
  27. Gijs, 335 (tie) – short form of Gijsbert
  28. Mats, 335 (tie)
  29. Max, 326
  30. Jesse, 317
  31. Julian, 315
  32. Otis, 314
  33. Floris, 312
  34. Lars, 307
  35. David, 304 (tie)
  36. Jake, 304 (tie)
  37. Moos, 303 – short form of Mozes
  38. Rayan, 300
  39. Jens, 291
  40. Joep, 289
  41. Owen, 286
  42. Thijs, 273
  43. Jan, 270 (3-way tie)
  44. Oliver, 270 (3-way tie)
  45. Willem, 270 (3-way tie)
  46. Mick, 269
  47. Jack, 262
  48. Jurre, 259 – short form of Jurryt (the Frisian form of Gerard)
  49. Abel, 254
  50. Kai, 253

Dutch onomastician Gerrit Bloothooft noted that, if similar names had been counted together, the name-groups Saar/Sara/Sarah and Luca/Lucas/Luuk would have topped the girls’ list and the boys’ list, respectively.

The girls’ top 100 included Cato (55th), Veerle (60th), Puck (75th), and Merel (83rd).

The boys’ top 100 included Jaxx (56th), Sven (64th), Hidde (72nd), and Jip (78th).

Finally, here are the Netherlands’ 2021 rankings, if you’d like to compare.

Sources: Kindernamen home | Kindernamen | SVB, Emma en Noah de populairste kindernamen van 2022, Population growth almost doubled in 2022, Behind the Name

Image: Adapted from Flag of the Netherlands (public domain)

Popular baby names on the Isle of Man, 2022

Flag of the Isle of Man
Flag of the Isle of Man

The Isle of Man is a 227-square-mile island located in the middle of the Irish Sea, between Ireland and Great Britain.

Like Jersey and Guernsey, Mann is a Crown Dependency, and therefore not officially part of the UK. Despite this, residents are entitled to British citizenship.

Last year, the Isle of Man welcomed just 586* babies. What were the most popular names among these babies? Lily and Noah.

Here are the Isle of Man’s top 5+ girl names and top 5+ boy names of 2022:

Girl Names

  1. Lily/Lillie/Lilly, 8 baby girls
  2. Emilia/Emelia/Emiliya, 6 (3-way tie)
    • The similar name Amelia was given to 3 more baby girls.
  3. Olivia, 6 (3-way tie)
  4. Ella, 6 (3-way tie)
  5. Isla, 5 (tie)
  6. Isabella, 5 (tie)

Boy Names

  1. Noah, 10 baby boys
  2. Theo/Theodore, 7
  3. Jack, 6 (tie)
  4. Leo, 6 (tie)
  5. Alfie, 5 (4-way tie)
  6. Archie, 5 (4-way tie)
  7. Benjamin, 5 (4-way tie)
  8. Edward, 5 (4-way tie)

Here are Mann’s 2021 rankings, if you’d like to compare.

*A decade ago, the Isle of Man was welcoming 800-900 babies per year.

Sources: The most popular babies’ names in the Isle of Man, Lily and Noah most popular Manx baby names in 2022, Isle of Man Government, Isle of Man – Wikipedia

Image: Adapted from Flag of the Isle of Man (public domain)