Ben
A short surname most likely reduced from Benedict or another name beginning with Ben-, though in some cases it may also reflect a place-name source.
The #9,596 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 91,183 Americans shares it.
Etymology
In surname use, Ben is usually treated as a shortened form of Benedict, with Ben as the familiar pet form that could stand alone as a surname or be expanded into forms like Bennett. The name ultimately goes back to Latin Benedictus, meaning "blessed." Some 19th-century writers also thought certain bearers may have taken the name from a place such as Bellingham, so there may be more than one origin in the record.
History
Bardsley specifically explains Ben as a shortening of Benedict, and Lower also lists it among English surname forms, while noting a possible local source for some families. Because it is so brief, the surname could arise independently in more than one place or be absorbed into longer Ben- names over time. Modern bearers are relatively uncommon in the United States.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because Ben is so short, it can be both a full surname and a clipped nickname surname, which makes it one of the more flexible medieval-style family names.
From the historical record
“BEN 25 of B., who seem to have borrowed their name from Belingeham, a manor near Hastings, mentioned in Domesday. BELLINIAN. An officer in corporate towns, who rings his bell and proclaims the hour of the night. BELLOW and BELLOWS bear arms”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom