Benjamin Name Meaning, Origin, History, And Popularity - 万博客户端手机版,ManBetx安卓客户端下载

Illustration: MomJunction Design Team

In This Article

Origin, Meaning, And History Of Benjamin

The masculine name Benjamin is derived from the Hebrew words “ben,” meaning “son” and “yāmīn,” meaning “the right side or the right hand.” It could also mean “son of the south.” In the Samaritan Pentateuch, it means “son of my days.” The name originates from the Old Testament of the Bible, where Benjamin was the youngest of the twelve sons of Jacob. As a result, the common phrase “the Benjamin of the family” refers to the youngest child of the family. Like many Biblical names, Benjamin is well-liked in the Jewish, Christian, and Muslim faiths.

This Biblical name has an equivalent in almost every language, such as the Italian Beniamino, the Lithuanian Benjaminas, the Chinese Běnjiémíng, the Arabic Binyamin, the Turkish Bünyamin, the Hawaiian Peni, and the Russian Venyamin. Benjamin is pronounced, “BEN-ja-min.” The name has several nicknames, including Ben, Benji, Bennie, Benito, and Benny. Benjamin also has female equivalents, such as Benjamina and Benjawan, which are typically used by actresses in Thailand. However, they are not as commonly used as the male given name Benjamin.

With a lineage reaching back to ancient times, this solid and respected boy’s name has a history of overuse, much like John or James. Nonetheless, the name continues to be widely used by high-profile celebrities like John Travolta, Kelly Preston, Gisele Bundchen, and Tom Brady when naming their sons.

The name Benjamin owes credit to the 1967 movie The Graduate for a surge in its popularity. The movie showcased Dustin Hoffman in the iconic role ofBenjamin Braddock. George Orwell’s novel Animal Farm also features Benjamin, the donkey. Nicholas Cage plays the role ofBenjamin Gatesin the blockbuster film National Treasure. Another iconic character with the name isBenjamin Button, played by Brad Pitt inThe Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Actor Matthew McConaughey portrays the role of ladies’ manBenjamin Barryin the popular rom-com How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days.

Benjamin

Meaning Son Of The Right Hand

性别 Boy

Religion Christianity

Origin Hebrew

Names starting with b..ba..ban..Ban..Ben..

How To Pronounce Benjamin?

Pronounced asben-ja-min

English

Famous People With The Name Benjamin

Benjamin FranklinOne of the Founding Fathers of the US, known for his experiments with electricity and his role in drafting the US Constitution
Benjamin DisraeliA British politician and writer, served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice
Benjamin “Bibi” NetanyahuAn Israeli politician, served as the Prime Minister of Israel for more than 15 years, making him the longest-serving Prime Minister in Israel’s history
Benjamin HarrisonThe 23rd president of the US, known for his efforts to modernize the navy and sign the Sherman Antitrust Act into law
Benjamin Earl KingAn American soul and R&B singer, rose to fame with his songs “Stand By Me” and “Spanish Harlem”

Benjamin On The Popularity Chart

The following charts show how the name Benjamin has performed over the years in terms of its popularity and ranking.

Popularity Over Time

Benjamin has performed consistently well on the popularity chart with a few instances of a spike. It reached its peak in 1989 with 15,732 babies per million sharing the name. The graph below gives you the details.

Source:Social Security Administration

Rank Over Time

The name did well in the early 1980s; however, with time, it lost its ranking and made it to the 20598th position in 2007. Check the graph to see the ranking trend.

Source:Social Security Administration