Given name & surname · also Gaelic
Benjamin
“son of the right hand”·“son of the south”
Benjamin is a Hebrew biblical name whose meaning is tied to both family relationships and the language of direction.
Original Hebrewבנימין
Meaning & origin
What it means
Two leading interpretations are “son of the right hand” and “son of the south.” The Hebrew element yamin can refer to either the right side or the south.
Where it comes from
Benjamin comes from Hebrew Benyamin and has established use in English, French, and German as well as Jewish naming traditions.
How it developed
The name combines the idea of a son with yamin. A different traditional explanation links the second element with years, giving the sense “son of my old age”; it is an alternative interpretation, not a settled translation.
The story
In Genesis, Benjamin is Jacob’s youngest son. Rachel first names him Benoni, and Jacob changes the name to Benyamin. This family story is central to the name’s biblical associations.
In the Bible
In the Bible, the name Benjamin appears in Genesis 35:18, 1 Chronicles 27:12, Judges 3:15 and 12 other passages.
- Genesis 35:18
- 1 Chronicles 27:12
- Judges 3:15
- 1 Samuel 9:21
- 2 Samuel 16:11
- 1 Kings 2:8
- Psalm 7:1
- 1 Samuel 22:7
- 1 Samuel 9:1
- 2 Samuel 20:1
- Esther 2:5
- Joshua 18:28
- Judges 1:21
- Philippians 3:5
- 1 Chronicles 7:10
From biblical name research
Benjamin through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 829,312
- 826,830 boys · 2,482 girls
- Most popular year
- 1989
- 15,788 babies
- 2025
- 9,770
- #11 for boys · #11,099 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −22%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 9,762 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 11 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 21.8% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 15,733 in 1989. It also appeared in 8 birth records for girls in 2025. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (1,257). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 606,324 as a first name in 2020; 39,477 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Benjamin’s family of names
In English usage, Benjamin has a diminutive in Ben. In English usage, Benjamin shares an earlier linguistic root with Veniamin. Benjamin has a related form in Benjamen.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Benjamin has relatives in 38 languages. Lines run from its Hebrew roots to each of them.
Hebrewwhere Benjamin comes from · 1 name
Nicknames & forms 29
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Bennyclipped form · English
- Bendiminutive · German, English
- Benjidiminutive · English
- Benniediminutive · gmw-ecg, English
- Binyaminvariant
- Benyaminvariant
- Benjimanvariant
- Benjydiminutive · English
Show 21 moreShow fewer
- Bennonickname · English
- Benjamenvariant
- Jamidiminutive · Finnish
- Benjieclipped form · English
- Bennjaminlikely variant
- Benjamminlikely variant
- Benjimenvariant
- Benjamonvariant
- Benjamanvariant
- Benjaminnlikely variant
- Beniaminusvariant · Latin
- Benjamivariant · Finnish
- Benbendiminutive · ceb
- Benjamshort form · Finnish
- Benjamínvariant · Czech, Spanish
- Binyaminovariant
- Benyaminovariant
- Benjaminovariant
- Beniaminovariant · Italian
- Benejamenvariant
- Benji(e)pet form
Spellings & scripts 3
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 42
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- בנימיןHebrew, Yiddish
- Yaminrelated form
- BenjamimPortuguese
- Benjaminelikely feminine form
- BeniaminPolish, Old English
- Veniamindoublet · English
- Веніамінequivalent
- ܒܢܝܡܝܢequivalent
Show 34 moreShow fewer
- बिनयामिनequivalent
- Benjaminson“son of” surname · English
- பெஞ்சமின்derivative · Tamil
- Venjaminrelated form
- Benjaminafeminine form
- Binjaminequivalent
- Benjamíequivalent
- بنجامینPersian
- Benjamînnrf
- BenjamenoEsperanto
- PenjamiFinnish
- బెంజమిన్Telugu
- BünyaminTurkish
- بنیامینPersian
- BenxamínGalician
- BenjaminasLithuanian
- ԲենիամինArmenian
- Βενιαμίνroot · Greek, Ancient Greek
- PeniʻaminaHawaiian
- BenjáminHungarian
- BeniaminuSicilian
- ВениаминRussian
- БенджаминRussian
- БенжаменRussian
- Beniami̍nlij-MC
- Bejaodgallo
- Bejaudgallo
- Bejotgallo
- بنيامينArabic
- Benjámesmi
- ВенијаминMacedonian
- PenjamFinnish
- PenjaamFinnish
- Venyamincognate
See also 27
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
- Reubenshares a root
- Jaminshares a root
- Temashares a root
- Zeevsee also
- Temanshares a root
- Bathshebashares a root
- Berashares a root
- Benoshares a root
Show 19 moreShow fewer
- Imnahshares a root
- Jimnashares a root
- Temenishares a root
- Ben-hesedshares a root
- Benhananshares a root
- Ben-gebershares a root
- Ben-dekershares a root
- Benammishares a root
- Ben-abinadabshares a root
- Bathshuashares a root
- Baanashares a root
- Baalisshares a root
- Beathansee also
- Eshbanshares a root
- Bithiashares a root
- Bishlamshares a root
- Bimhalshares a root
- Bidkarshares a root
- Ahbanshares a root
People named Benjamin
- Benjamin FranklinAmerican polymath and statesman (1706–1790)
- Benjamin DisraeliBritish statesman (1804–1881)
- Benjamin HarrisonPresident of the United States, 1889-1893 (1833–1901)
- Ben BernankeAmerican economist (born 1953)
- Benjamin ConstantFrench-Swiss politician, writer on politics and religion (1767-2011)
- Benny GoodmanAmerican jazz clarinetist and bandleader (1909–1986)
- Benjamin PavardFrench footballer (born 1996)
- Benjamin SpockAmerican pediatrician and author of Baby and Child Care (1903-1998)
- Ben ChilwellEnglish association football player (born 1996)
Characters named Benjamin: Benjamin Sisko (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine), Uncle Ben (Marvel Comics), Ben Tennyson (protagonist of Ben 10).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
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