Ben vs Caleb
Ben and Calebcompared 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.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Ben was ranked #125 and Caleb #26 among boys in Northern Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2011, Ben was ranked #79 and Caleb #38 among boys in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Ben was ranked #40 and Caleb #108 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Ben was ranked #121 and Caleb #42 among boys in Scotland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2004, Ben was ranked #99 and Caleb #51 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Ben was ranked #509 and Caleb #75 among boys in England and Wales.
Ben and Caleb over time
Ben and Caleb appear together in 4 published lists, across 121 years of shared records. Ben held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Caleb in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Ben reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Caleb in 1. 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2011, Caleb moved ahead of Ben in England and Wales · Boys — #73 and #87 the year before became #97 and #89.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 30 shared years in New Zealand · Boys, Ben and Caleb averaged 33.7 places apart, ending at #79 and #38.
- Longest-running competitions
Ben and Caleb were both ranked in New Zealand · Boys for 30 years, from 1982 to 2011, ending at #79 and #38.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys34 shared years, 1983–2025
Ben held the stronger position in 34 of those years, Caleb in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ben #14 in 2005, Caleb #91 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ben #40, Caleb #108.
New Zealand · Boys30 shared years, 1982–2011
Ben held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Caleb in 23.
Highest recorded here: Ben #38 in 2002, Caleb #12 in 1999.
The order changed in 1991: Caleb moved ahead. In 1990 they stood at #56 and #70; by 1991 that had become #74 and #68.
Most recent shared year, 2011: Ben #79, Caleb #38.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ben held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Caleb in 14.
Highest recorded here: Ben #21 in 2002, Caleb #72 in 2023.
The order changed in 2011: Caleb moved ahead. In 2010 they stood at #73 and #87; by 2011 that had become #97 and #89.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ben #509, Caleb #75.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Ben held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Caleb in 12.
Highest recorded here: Ben #6 in 2004, Caleb #20 in 2023.
The order changed in 2014: Caleb moved ahead. In 2013 they stood at #32 and #44; by 2014 that had become #38 and #34.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ben #125, Caleb #26.
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 | Caleb |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #40 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #108 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| 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); Caleb does not have one recorded yet.
- Ben has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Caleb.
- A meaning is recorded for Ben; Caleb doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
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
Caleb
Popularity journey
First recorded1982
First recorded at #98 among boys in New Zealand in 1982 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Boys
Highest recorded1982–2023
Highest recorded position: #12 among boys in New Zealand, in 1999 (recorded 1982–2023).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #108 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys