UK boy's name
Benton
From an English surname meaning "bent grass meadow" or "hay meadow".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2016. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Benton is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Benton popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2016 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4023, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1997, with 9 births.
This profile covers 33 England and Wales registrations across 7 recorded years from 1996 to 2016. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 44% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 33 living people in the UK are called Benton. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2017 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Benton ranked #4023 for boys in England and Wales in 2016, with 4 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1997, when 9 boys were registered as Benton.
- • About 33 living people in the UK are estimated to have Benton as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4023
2016
Births in 2016
4
Latest year
Peak year
1997
9 births
Estimated living
33
2026
Meaning
What does Benton mean?
The name Benton has its origins in Old English and Old French. It is derived from the Old English words "bene" meaning "prayer" or "request" and "tun" meaning "enclosure" or "settlement". The name likely referred to a settlement or village where people gathered for prayer or religious observances.
The earliest recorded use of the name Benton can be traced back to the 12th century in England. It was initially used as a surname, referring to someone from a particular settlement or village. Over time, it transitioned into a given name as well.
In the late 13th century, a Benedictine monk named Benton de Morleye was mentioned in the historical records of the Abbey of Bury St. Edmunds in Suffolk, England. This is one of the earliest known references to the name Benton.
During the Middle Ages, the name Benton appeared in various religious texts and chronicles, often associated with members of the clergy or monastic orders. It was particularly popular among the Benedictine monks, who played a significant role in the preservation of knowledge and literature during this period.
One notable figure in history with the name Benton was Sir Benton de Lisle, a 14th-century English knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War. He was born around 1320 and served under King Edward III.
In the 16th century, Benton Fletcher (1535-1607) was an English theologian and writer who authored several religious works, including "The Sinne Against the Holy Ghost" and "A Treatise of the Auncient and Moderne Use of Armories".
Another prominent individual with the name Benton was Thomas Hart Benton (1782-1858), an American politician and lawyer who served as a United States Senator from Missouri. He was a prominent figure in the Democratic Party and played a significant role in the westward expansion of the United States.
In the 19th century, Thomas Hart Benton's son, Thomas Hart Benton (1889-1975), became a renowned American painter and muralist. He was a key figure in the Regionalist art movement and is best known for his depictions of everyday life in the American Midwest.
Benton MacKaye (1879-1975) was an American forester, conservationist, and regional planner. He is credited with conceiving the idea of the Appalachian Trail, a long-distance hiking trail that stretches from Georgia to Maine in the United States.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Benton over time
The chart below shows babies named Benton registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2016. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Benton, the clearest high point is 1997. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2016, compared with 9 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Benton by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Benton was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | #4023 | 4 | 1 |
| 2000s | #3189 | 16 | 4 |
| 1990s | #1851 | 13 | 2 |
Related
Names similar to Benton
- Benjamin 90,412
- Ben 36,356
- Bradley 30,230
- Brandon 26,411
- Billy 18,608
- Bobby 16,904
- Blake 16,337
- Bailey 16,014
- Brody 7,230
- Beau 6,722
- Barnaby 5,284
- Brodie 4,801
FAQ
Benton: questions and answers
How popular is the name Benton in the UK right now?
In 2016, Benton was ranked #4023 for boys in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.
When was Benton most popular?
The peak year on record was 1997, with 9 babies registered as Benton in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Benton?
From an English surname meaning "bent grass meadow" or "hay meadow".
How many people are called Benton in the UK?
A total of 33 babies have been registered as Benton across the 7 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.