Ben vs Cain
Ben and Caincompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Ben was ranked #40 and Cain #676 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Ben was ranked #121 and Cain #619 among boys in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Ben was ranked #125 and Cain #404 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Ben was ranked #509 and Cain #1460 among boys in England and Wales.
Ben and Cain over time
Ben and Cain appear together in 3 published lists, across 81 years of shared records. Ben held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Cain in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Cain reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Ben in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Ben #21 in 2002, Cain #184 in 2001.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ben held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Cain in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ben #21 in 2002, Cain #184 in 2001.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ben #509, Cain #1460.
Northern Ireland · Boys26 shared years, 1998–2024
Ben held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Cain in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ben #6 in 2004, Cain #149 in 2003.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ben #125, Cain #404.
Republic of Ireland · Boys26 shared years, 1991–2025
Ben held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Cain in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ben #14 in 2005, Cain #222 in 1999.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ben #40, Cain #676.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Ben | Cain |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | A short form of Benjamin, Benedict and other names beginning with 'Ben'; in Dutch, can also be short for Bernhard. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Hebrew/Germanic, short form | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈbɛn/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #40 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #676 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Ben has a recorded origin (Hebrew/Germanic, short form); Cain does not have one recorded yet.
- Ben and Cain both have 1 syllable.
- A meaning is recorded for Ben; Cain doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Ben
Popularity journey
First recorded1950
First recorded at #376 among boys in Norway in 1950 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #6 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2004 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #40 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Cain
Popularity journey
First recorded1991
First recorded at #288 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1991 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1998–2024
Highest recorded position: #149 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2003 (recorded 1998–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #676 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys