boy's name
Benjamin
BEN-juh-min
- Origin Hebrew
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 3
- Letters 8
- Popularity Top 100 (US)
- Births on record 1,137,288
the United States
#11
2025 births
Benjamin is a boy's name of Hebrew origin meaning "son of the right hand," from Binyamin. In Genesis he is the youngest of Jacob's twelve sons, and the text records that his mother Rachel named him differently as she died, with Jacob renaming him.
- Benjamin is a name of Hebrew origin.
- Peaked in 1989, when 15,788 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 339 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 3 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Benjamin over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 5,407 |
| 1890s | 4,460 |
| 1900s | 4,009 |
| 1910s | 17,342 |
| 1920s | 21,122 |
| 1930s | 14,684 |
| 1940s | 17,252 |
| 1950s | 23,928 |
| 1960s | 25,753 |
| 1970s | 81,782 |
| 1980s | 142,164 |
| 1990s | 134,207 |
| 2000s | 137,546 |
| 2010s | 134,680 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 64,976 |
What Benjamin means
Benjamin means "son of the right hand," a phrase suggesting favor or strength, since the right hand carried connotations of both in Hebrew idiom. It can also be read as "son of the south," because Hebrew orientation placed the south on the right when facing east.
Where Benjamin comes from
Benjamin comes from the Hebrew Binyamin, combining ben, son, with yamin, right hand. Genesis 35:18 gives the name an unusually detailed origin: Rachel, dying in childbirth, names the boy Ben-Oni, meaning son of my sorrow, and Jacob renames him Binyamin. The tribe of Benjamin took its name from him and occupied territory to the south of the northern tribes, which supports the secondary reading of the name as son of the south. The name reached English through Greek and Latin scriptures and became widely used after the Reformation, when English families turned increasingly to the Old Testament for names.
Benjamin in use
Benjamin is one of very few biblical names recorded as having been changed at birth by the father.
How popular is Benjamin?
In 2025, Benjamin was given to 9,770 babies in the United States, ranking #11 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Where Benjamin is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Benjamin
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Benjamin also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Benjamin over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
6 nicknames for Benjamin
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Benjamin in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Benjamin
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Benjamin — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Benjamin
What does the name Benjamin mean?
Benjamin means "son of the right hand," from the Hebrew Binyamin.
Is Benjamin a biblical name?
Yes. Benjamin is the youngest of Jacob's twelve sons in the Book of Genesis.
Why was Benjamin renamed in the Bible?
Genesis records that Rachel named him Ben-Oni, "son of my sorrow," as she died, and Jacob renamed him Binyamin.
How popular is the name Benjamin?
In 2025, Benjamin was given to 9,770 babies in the United States, ranking #11 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Is Benjamin a girl's or a boy's name?
Benjamin is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Benjamin?
Benjamin has 3 syllables.
When was Benjamin most popular?
Benjamin peaked in 1989, when 15,788 babies were given the name. Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Benjamin?
Benjamin is usually shortened to Ben, Benny, Benji, Benjy, Benno and Benito.
Is Benjamin a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Benjamin currently ranks #9 in the United States. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.