Name meaning & stats
Benn
Benn means “son of the right hand” (English origin). 343 US babies since 1940, peak 1980. Notable Benns are 1.3× over-represented as ice hockey players.
What it means
“son of the right hand”
EnglishSpelling of Ben
A short form of Benjamin.
Ben around the world
- Бен · Russian
- Бен · Ukrainian
- Μπεν · Greek
- بن · Arabic
- בן · Hebrew
- ベン · Japanese
- Bendix
- Benno · Dutch
- Benedykt · Polish
- Bent · Danish
Famous Bens
- Ben Kingsley · English actor (born 1943)
- Ben Jonson · English playwright, poet, and actor (1572-1637)
- Ben Roy Mottelson · Danish-American nuclear physicist (1926–2022)
- Ben Foster · English association football player (born 1983)
Ben’s name day
- August 30 · Norway
In US birth records
Peak year: 1980
343 US babies were named Benn between 1940 and 2025.
Where Benns end up
| Career | vs expected | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Ice hockey player | 1.3× | Low · 2 people |
| Musician | 1.3× | Low · 2 people |
| Actor | 1.0× | Low · 1 people |
| Professor | 1.1× | Low · 1 people |
Among notable men who are ice hockey players, Benns show up 1.3× as often as you'd expect from how common the name is.
Notable people born 1940–2005 in the US, UK, Canada and Australia (Wikidata). Patterns, not destiny.
Other spellings
1 in 138 Bens spell it Benn
Names that sound the same, grouped by Heyotag. Share of US babies since 1940.
Name twins (peaked around 1980)