On May 31, 1859, the bell in London’s Big Ben clock tower chimed for the first time. Ben is one of the friendliest nickname-names around, on a par with Jack and Johnny. Benjamin, the usual long form, has been among the Top 100 boys’ names in the US for more than 50 years. Other ways to get to Ben: Bennett, Benedict, Bentley, Benton, or even Reuben. Or you can cut straight to Ben, as more than 300 parents did last year.
An aquaintance named her son Jensen, but I would strongly prefer Bensen or Benson because of the nickname, Ben.