Benji
Boy name · #1342 in 2025 · Rare
How old is the name Benji? In official American birth records, Benji has been tracked continuously since 1952, giving it 73 years of documented American history.
Benji is currently the #1342 boy name in the United States — 142 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #2355, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 12,676 boys born in 2025 was named Benji.
Babies named Benji per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 73-year story
Benji first appears in the Social Security records in 1952, when 7 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1975, when 168 boys were named Benji — good for #622 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. 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.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Benji against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Benji in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Benji is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Benji will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Benji is most common
Geography matters for names, and Benji is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Benji is most common in OH (0.2 per 1,000), CA (0.1 per 1,000), TX (0.1 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.1 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Benji is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Nicknames & related forms of Benji
Benji belongs to the Benjamin family — closely related nicknames and spellings of the same name.
Counted as one name, the Benjamin family went to about 10,489 boys in 2025 — together they'd rank around #10, versus #1342 for Benji alone.
Names like Benji
Statistically, parents drawn to Benji tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Judd, Lenny, Giuseppe, Abdul, and Hasani.
JuddLennyGiuseppeAbdulHasaniTomaFlintHakim
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Benji | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 142 | #1341 |
| 2024 | 105 | #1620 |
| 2023 | 108 | #1608 |
| 2022 | 130 | #1414 |
| 2021 | 82 | #1870 |
| 2020 | 103 | #1579 |
| 2019 | 76 | #1938 |
| 2018 | 73 | #1994 |
| 2017 | 66 | #2091 |
| 2016 | 49 | #2551 |
| 2015 | 55 | #2355 |
| 2014 | 44 | #2705 |
| 2013 | 29 | #3582 |
| 2012 | 19 | #4862 |
| 2011 | 19 | #4822 |
| 2010 | 24 | #4099 |
| 2009 | 19 | #4922 |
| 2008 | 14 | #6070 |
| 2007 | 17 | #5210 |
| 2006 | 16 | #5303 |
| 2005 | 16 | #5034 |
| 2004 | 8 | #8143 |
| 2003 | 11 | #6258 |
| 2002 | 12 | #5725 |
| 2001 | 8 | #7536 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Benji?
In official American birth records, the name Benji first appeared in 1952 (over 73 years ago), when 7 newborn boys received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 73 years.
Is Benji a popular boy name?
Benji ranked #1342 among boys in 2025 with 142 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #2355.
When was the name Benji most popular?
Benji peaked in 1975, when 168 American boys received the name (ranked #622 that year). Since 1975 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Benji?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 12,676 newborn American boys was named Benji. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.