Given name
Benji
“son of the right hand”·“son of the south”·“son of the south; son of the right hand”
In English use, Benji is a diminutive of Benjamin. 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. Benji is a variant of Ben. In English use, Ben carries the interpretation “son of the south; son of the right hand.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
In English use, Benji is a diminutive of Benjamin. 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. Benji is a variant of Ben. In English use, Ben carries the interpretation “son of the south; son of the right hand.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
In English use, Benji is a diminutive of Benjamin. Benjamin comes from Hebrew Benyamin and has established use in English, French, and German as well as Jewish naming traditions.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In English use, Benji is a diminutive of Benjamin. The shared background comes through Benjamin: Benjamin 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.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1952. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. In English use, Benji is a diminutive of Benjamin. The history of Benjamin gives this family its wider 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.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Benji through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 2,348
- 2,285 boys · 63 girls
- Most popular year
- 1975
- 176 babies
- 2025
- 142
- #1,341 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +51%
- Rising fast
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 142 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 1,341 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 54.5% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 168 in 1975. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (23). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 2,191 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Benji’s family of names
In English usage, Benji is a diminutive of Benjamin. Benji has a related form in Ben.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 2
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 2
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Benji
- Benji MaddenAmerican rock musicianborn 1979
- Benji GregoryAmerican actor (1978–2024)
- Benji SchwimmerAmerican dancer and choreographerborn 1984
- Benji MarshallNew Zealand rugby league and rugby union footballerborn 1985
- Benji WebbeWelsh singerborn 1967
- Benji KikanovićAmerican soccer playerborn 2000
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Benji, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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