Ben vs George
Ben and Georgecompared 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.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Ben was ranked #509 and George #6 among boys in England and Wales.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2011, Ben was ranked #79 and George #30 among boys in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Ben was ranked #125 and George #40 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Ben was ranked #40 and George #112 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Ben was ranked #121 and George #48 among boys in Scotland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2004, Ben was ranked #99 and George #64 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Norway · Boys
In 2023, Ben was ranked #355 and George #364 among boys in Norway.
Ben and George over time
Ben and George appear together in 6 published lists, across 213 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in 2 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 5 of those lists, George 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 took the other's place near the top
In Northern Ireland · Boys, George moved into the top 50 at #49 in 2018 as Ben fell out of it to #64, having been #38 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2018, George moved ahead of Ben in Northern Ireland · Boys — #38 and #58 the year before became #64 and #49.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Ben and George changed places 4 times in New South Wales, Australia · Boys between 1976 and 2004, ending at #99 and #64.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 26 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Ben and George averaged 12.6 places apart, ending at #99 and #64.
- Longest-running competitions
Ben and George were both ranked in New Zealand · Boys for 31 years, from 1981 to 2011, ending at #79 and #30.
List by list
Norway · Boys52 shared years, 1952–2023
Ben held the stronger position in 34 of those years, George in 18.
Highest recorded here: Ben #233 in 1965, George #253 in 1968.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Ben #355, George #364.
Republic of Ireland · Boys47 shared years, 1978–2025
Ben held the stronger position in 36 of those years, George in 11.
Highest recorded here: Ben #14 in 2005, George #65 in 2019.
The order changed in 1990: Ben moved ahead. In 1989 they stood at #143 and #105; by 1990 that had become #152 and #157.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ben #40, George #112.
New Zealand · Boys31 shared years, 1981–2011
Ben held the stronger position in 3 of those years, George in 28.
Highest recorded here: Ben #38 in 2002, George #28 in 2005.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2011: Ben #79, George #30.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ben held the stronger position in 0 of those years, George in 29.
Highest recorded here: Ben #21 in 2002, George #2 in 2018.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ben #509, George #6.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Ben held the stronger position in 21 of those years, George in 7.
Highest recorded here: Ben #6 in 2004, George #25 in 2023.
The order changed in 2018: George moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #38 and #58; by 2018 that had become #64 and #49.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ben #125, George #40.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys26 shared years, 1976–2004
Ben held the stronger position in 11 of those years, George in 15.
Highest recorded here: Ben #41 in 1981, George #46 in 1977.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2004: Ben #99, George #64.
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 | George |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| 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. | Farmer, earth-worker. |
| Origin | Hebrew/Germanic, short form | Greek |
| Pronunciation | /ˈbɛn/ | /ˈdʒɔːdʒ/ |
| 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, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #40 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #24 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Ben is recorded with a Hebrew/Germanic, short form origin, while George is recorded with a Greek origin.
- Ben has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for George.
- Ben's recorded meaning differs from George's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, 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
George
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #345 among boys in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #2 among boys in England and Wales, in 2018 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #24 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys