Benjamin vs Mason
Benjamin and Masoncompared 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.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Benjamin was ranked #78 and Mason #25 among boys in Scotland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Benjamin was ranked #39 and Mason #26 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Benjamin was ranked #46 and Mason #56 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Benjamin was ranked #61 and Mason #63 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Benjamin was ranked #76 and Mason #61 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Benjamin was ranked #83 and Mason #75 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Benjamin and Mason over time
Benjamin and Mason appear together in 5 published lists, across 126 years of shared records. Benjamin held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Mason in 2.
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.
Benjamin reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, and Mason 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.
- One took the other's place near the top
In Northern Ireland · Boys, Mason moved into the top 50 at #44 in 2011 as Benjamin fell out of it to #52, having been #40 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2016, Mason moved ahead of Benjamin in New Zealand · Boys — #5 and #6 the year before became #18 and #4.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Benjamin and Mason changed places 4 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2024, ending at #61 and #63.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Benjamin and Mason averaged 36.7 places apart, ending at #61 and #63.
- Mirrored each other
Over 26 shared years in Northern Ireland · Boys, Mason rose about as far as Benjamin fell — from #43 and #240 in 1998 to #76 and #61 in 2024.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Benjamin #50 in 2020, Mason #32 in 2022.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Benjamin held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Mason in 5.
Highest recorded here: Benjamin #6 in 2002, Mason #27 in 2013.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Benjamin #61, Mason #63.
Northern Ireland · Boys26 shared years, 1998–2024
Benjamin held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Mason in 14.
Highest recorded here: Benjamin #22 in 2002, Mason #15 in 2013.
The order changed in 2011: Mason moved ahead. In 2010 they stood at #40 and #88; by 2011 that had become #52 and #44.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Benjamin #76, Mason #61.
Republic of Ireland · Boys25 shared years, 1993–2025
Benjamin held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Mason in 15.
Highest recorded here: Benjamin #50 in 2020, Mason #32 in 2022.
The order changed in 2011: Mason moved ahead. In 2010 they stood at #65 and #128; by 2011 that had become #74 and #70.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Benjamin #83, Mason #75.
New Zealand · Boys24 shared years, 2000–2023
Benjamin held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Mason in 11.
Highest recorded here: Benjamin #3 in 2003, Mason #4 in 2014.
The order changed in 2016: Mason moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #5 and #6; by 2016 that had become #18 and #4.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Benjamin #39, Mason #26.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys22 shared years, 2003–2025
Benjamin held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Mason in 7.
Highest recorded here: Benjamin #9 in 2003, Mason #14 in 2018.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Benjamin #46, Mason #56.
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 | Benjamin | Mason |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as 'son of the right hand', with the underlying literal sense being 'son of the south' (since 'right' indicated the southerly direction in the biblical east-facing orientation convention). | Originally an occupational surname/vocabulary word meaning 'stoneworker', later adopted as a given name. The deeper root of the word itself is disputed among etymologists — a Germanic (Frankish) origin versus an alternative Medieval Latin source. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | English surname, from Old French masson/macon |
| Pronunciation | /ˈbɛndʒəmɪn/ | /ˈmeɪsən/ |
| Syllables | 3 | 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 | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #46 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #56 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 76/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Benjamin is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin, while Mason is recorded with a English surname, from Old French masson/macon origin.
- Benjamin has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Mason.
- Benjamin's recorded meaning differs from Mason's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Benjamin
Popularity journey
First recorded1950
First recorded at #345 among boys in Norway in 1950 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1970–2023
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in New Zealand, in 2003 (recorded 1970–2023).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #46 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Mason
Popularity journey
First recorded1993
First recorded at #339 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1993 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded2000–2023
Highest recorded position: #4 among boys in New Zealand, in 2014 (recorded 2000–2023).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #56 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys