NameCensus.

UK surname

Ben

A Hebrew surname meaning "son," or a shortened form of surnames beginning with "Ben-," such as Benjamin.

In the 1881 census there were 78 people recorded with the Ben surname, ranking it #22,500 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 525, ranked #9,654, up from #22,500 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Brent, Southwark and Newham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Ben is 525 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 573.1%.

1881 census count

78

Ranked #22,500

Modern count

525

2016, ranked #9,654

Peak year

2016

525 bearers

Map years

2

2006 to 2016

Key insights

  • Ben had 78 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,500 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 525 in 2016, ranked #9,654.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 78 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Ben surname distribution map

The map shows where the Ben surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Ben surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Ben over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 51 #24,096
1881 historical 78 #22,500
1891 historical 8 #33,550
1901 historical 54 #28,178
1997 modern 41 #33,552
1998 modern 61 #31,841
1999 modern 67 #31,409
2000 modern 61 #32,039
2001 modern 47 #33,219
2002 modern 54 #32,927
2003 modern 73 #31,186
2004 modern 100 #27,964
2005 modern 133 #23,502
2006 modern 148 #22,111
2007 modern 175 #20,090
2008 modern 270 #15,219
2009 modern 315 #13,960
2010 modern 337 #13,580
2011 modern 398 #11,907
2012 modern 369 #12,443
2013 modern 389 #12,177
2014 modern 448 #10,946
2015 modern 467 #10,535
2016 modern 525 #9,654

Geography

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Where Bens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Brent, Southwark, Newham, Westminster and Barking and Dagenham. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Brent 030 Brent
2 Southwark 021 Southwark
3 Newham 015 Newham
4 Westminster 013 Westminster
5 Barking and Dagenham 021 Barking and Dagenham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Ben

These lists show first names that appear often with the Ben surname in historical and recent records.

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Ben

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Ben, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the Ben surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Ben household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group is often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Ben is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Ben is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Ben falls in decile 3 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Ben is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
Other Ethnic Group

This describes the area pattern most associated with Ben, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Ben

The surname "Ben" is believed to have originated in ancient Persia, now modern-day Iran, during the 6th century BCE. It is derived from the Persian word "ben," which means "son" or "offspring." This suggests that the name may have been initially used as a patronymic, indicating the familial relation to one's father or ancestor.

In the early centuries of the Common Era, the name "Ben" spread across the Middle East and North Africa due to the expansion of the Persian Empire and the subsequent influence of Arabic culture. It is likely that the name was adopted by various ethnic groups and communities within these regions.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "Ben" can be found in the ancient Arabic manuscripts and genealogical records from the 7th century CE. These documents often listed individuals with the prefix "Ben" or "Ibn" followed by their father's name, signifying their lineage.

During the Middle Ages, the surname "Ben" gained prominence in parts of Europe, particularly in Spain and Portugal, where it was likely introduced by the Moors and Sephardic Jews who settled in the Iberian Peninsula. The name can be found in various historical documents and records from this period.

Among the notable individuals who bore the surname "Ben" throughout history are:

1. Maimonides (1135-1204), a renowned Jewish philosopher, astronomer, and rabbi from Córdoba, Spain. 2. Judah ben Samuel (12th century), a German Jewish scholar and author of the "Sefer Hasidim" (Book of the Pious). 3. Abraham ben Meir Ibn Ezra (1089-1167), a Spanish Jewish philosopher, mathematician, and biblical commentator. 4. Joseph ben Ephraim Caro (1488-1575), a renowned Jewish legal scholar and author of the influential code of Jewish law, the "Shulchan Aruch." 5. Hasdai ibn Shaprut (915-970), a prominent Jewish scholar and diplomat who served as a minister in the court of the Caliph of Córdoba.

The surname "Ben" has also been associated with various place names and geographic locations throughout history, including the town of Ben Aknoun in Algeria and the Ben Amor region in Tunisia, among others.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Ben families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Ben surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Yorkshire leads with 22 Bens recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.85x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 22 2.85x
Northamptonshire 12 16.35x
Durham 10 4.31x
Essex 8 5.19x
Middlesex 8 1.03x
Stirlingshire 7 24.32x
Derbyshire 2 1.64x
Lancashire 2 0.22x
Nottinghamshire 2 1.90x
Surrey 2 0.53x
Berkshire 1 1.71x
Glamorgan 1 0.74x
Hampshire 1 0.63x
Kent 1 0.38x
Somerset 1 0.80x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. West Ham in Essex leads with 8 Bens recorded in 1881 and an index of 23.52x.

Place Total Index
West Ham 8 23.52x
Hipperholme Cum 7 205.88x
Ovenden 7 203.49x
Slamannan 7 443.04x
Hunmanby 6 1666.67x
Northampton All Sts 6 240.96x
Peterborough 6 112.99x
Whitworth 4 235.29x
Durham St Nicholas 2 350.88x
Kingston On Thames 2 21.91x
Mickleover 2 526.32x
Acton 1 21.88x
Brandon Byshottles 1 34.36x
Clewer 1 41.67x
Darlington 1 11.16x
Enfield 1 19.53x
Great Crosby 1 39.68x
Hackney London 1 2.29x
Halewood 1 200.00x
Headley 1 232.56x
Kensington London 1 2.31x
Lewisham 1 7.04x
Monkwearmouth Shore 1 22.08x
Nottingham St Mary 1 3.68x
Nottingham St Nicholas 1 69.93x
Ratcliffe London 1 23.20x
Sheffield 1 4.06x
St Pancras London 1 1.59x
Sunderland 1 24.39x
Swansea Town 1 8.98x
Taunton St Mary 1 43.29x
Wheatley 1 370.37x
Whitechapel London 1 13.00x
Willesden 1 13.59x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Ben surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 8
Elizabeth 3
Emily 3
Sarah 3
Ann 2
May 2
Ada 1
Agnes 1
Alise 1
Anne 1
Annie 1
Charlotte 1
Emma 1
Esther 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Harriet 1
Lillian 1
M. 1
Martha 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Ben surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 5
James 4
William 4
Thos. 3
Charles 2
George 2
Hezekiah 2
Robert 2
Barney 1
Baux 1
David 1
Eli 1
Frances 1
Henry 1
J. 1
Jno. 1
Mark 1
Muri 1
Richard 1
Thomas 1
Tom 1
Walter 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Ben households.

FAQ

Ben surname: questions and answers

How common was the Ben surname in 1881?

In 1881, 78 people were recorded with the Ben surname. That placed it at #22,500 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Ben surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 525 in 2016. That gives Ben a modern rank of #9,654.

What does the Ben surname mean?

A Hebrew surname meaning "son," or a shortened form of surnames beginning with "Ben-," such as Benjamin.

What does the Ben map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Ben bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.