$100 Bill Nickname: What People Really Call It and Why

When someone says they’re holding a $100 bill, the highest-denomination U.S. paper currency still in regular circulation. Also known as a hundred, it’s the most recognizable piece of American cash after the $1 bill. You’ve heard it in movies, songs, and conversations—"I just made a hundred," or "That’s a C-note." But where did these names come from, and do people still use them today?

The most common nickname for the $100 bill is C-note, a slang term rooted in Roman numerals where "C" stands for 100. It’s been around since the early 1900s and still pops up in casual speech, especially in cities and among older generations. You’ll also hear "Benjamin," because Benjamin Franklin, the founding father and polymath whose portrait has been on the $100 bill since 1914. It’s not just a face—it’s a symbol of American innovation and finance. Less common now, but still used in some circles, is "dead president," a playful nod to the fact that all U.S. bills feature deceased historical figures.

These nicknames aren’t just fun trivia—they reflect how people interact with money every day. A $100 bill isn’t just currency; it’s a unit of value, a bargaining tool, a gift, a reward. It’s what you hand over for a used couch, what you slip into a birthday card, what you count out after a big sale. And because it’s so widely used, its nicknames stick. Unlike smaller bills, the $100 bill rarely changes hands in daily transactions, making it feel more like a store of value than spending cash. That’s why it’s often linked to bigger purchases, side gigs, or even cash payments that avoid banks.

What’s interesting is how these names connect to other parts of American life. You’ll find "C-note" in music lyrics, crime dramas, and even in real estate ads that say "$100K"—which is just a thousand C-notes stacked up. The same way "grand" means $1,000, "hundred" is shorthand for $100, and both are part of the unspoken language of money. Even if you don’t say "Benjamin" out loud, you still think of him every time you look at the bill.

There’s no official name for the $100 bill beyond "one hundred dollars," but the nicknames tell a story. They show how culture, history, and everyday habits shape how we talk about money. And if you’ve ever held one, you know it doesn’t feel like just paper—it feels like weight, like opportunity, like something that moves things.

Below, you’ll find real posts that dig into the little things people notice about money, home value, storage, and everyday objects—like why a $20 bill has its own nickname, how much a sofa really costs, or what those brown bits in a pan are called. It’s all connected. The same curiosity that makes you wonder about a $100 bill nickname is what makes someone ask what a "monkey" means in shelving terms, or why a bathroom color can boost a home’s resale value. These aren’t random questions. They’re the quiet details that make daily life make sense.