Big Ben: The Bell, the Clock, and the Tower—Clearing Up the Name Confusion

"Big Ben" is one of the world's most famous landmarks, yet its name is widely misunderstood. Here is the precise breakdown:

What "Big Ben" Actually Refers To

• The Great Bell: "Big Ben" is the nickname for the 13.7-tonne (13.5-ton) hour bell inside the clock tower. It strikes the hour with a distinctive deep "E" note.
• Origin of the Name: Likely named after Sir Benjamin Hall, First Commissioner of Works (1855–1858), a large man nicknamed "Big Ben." Alternative theory: named after heavyweight boxer Benjamin Caunt.
• Cast: Original bell (1856) cracked during testing. Current bell cast by Whitechapel Bell Foundry in 1858.

The Clock Tower

• Official Name (since 2012): Elizabeth Tower, renamed in honor of Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee. Previously just "the Clock Tower."
• Architects: Charles Barry (Palace of Westminster) and Augustus Pugin (clock tower design).
• Completed: 1859. Height: 96 m (315 ft).
• Clock: Designed by Edmund Beckett Denison; built by Edward John Dent. Four dials, each 7 m (23 ft) diameter. Remarkable accuracy (±1 sec/day).

Common Misconceptions

• "Big Ben is the tower." → No, the tower is Elizabeth Tower.
• "Big Ben is the clock." → No, the clock is the Great Clock of Westminster.
• "It's called St. Stephen's Tower." → That was a Victorian journalistic error; St. Stephen's Tower is the central tower over the palace's St. Stephen's Hall.

Cultural Icon

Despite the technicalities, "Big Ben" is universally used as a synecdoche for the entire tower-clock-bell ensemble—a symbol of London, the UK Parliament, and British resilience (famously broadcasting through WWII). The bell's chimes are broadcast daily by the BBC.

So: Big Ben = the Bell. Elizabeth Tower = the Tower. Great Clock = the Clock. But in common parlance, they are all "Big Ben."