Boy nameCurrently #11 in the USFalling
Benjamin
BEN-juh-min//ˈbɛndʒəmɪn//
3 syllablesPeak year: 19898 lettersStarts with B
Meaning & origin
Son of the right hand
Benjamin comes from the Hebrew 'Binyamin', meaning 'son of the right hand', a phrase suggesting favor or strength, and in Genesis he is Jacob's youngest and most cherished son. A dependable classic for centuries, it offers the friendly, versatile nickname Ben.
Benjamin's popularity over time
| Year | Births named Benjamin |
|---|---|
| 1880 | 490 |
| 1881 | 481 |
| 1882 | 478 |
| 1883 | 508 |
| 1884 | 509 |
| 1885 | 464 |
| 1886 | 463 |
| 1887 | 473 |
| 1888 | 781 |
| 1889 | 760 |
| 1890 | 537 |
| 1891 | 461 |
| 1892 | 525 |
| 1893 | 482 |
| 1894 | 469 |
| 1895 | 452 |
| 1896 | 416 |
| 1897 | 378 |
| 1898 | 405 |
| 1899 | 335 |
| 1900 | 450 |
| 1901 | 343 |
| 1902 | 374 |
| 1903 | 324 |
| 1904 | 358 |
| 1905 | 379 |
| 1906 | 352 |
| 1907 | 460 |
| 1908 | 480 |
| 1909 | 489 |
| 1910 | 536 |
| 1911 | 690 |
| 1912 | 1,272 |
| 1913 | 1,466 |
| 1914 | 1,828 |
| 1915 | 2,248 |
| 1916 | 2,191 |
| 1917 | 2,391 |
| 1918 | 2,431 |
| 1919 | 2,289 |
| 1920 | 2,315 |
| 1921 | 2,421 |
| 1922 | 2,386 |
| 1923 | 2,321 |
| 1924 | 2,226 |
| 1925 | 2,077 |
| 1926 | 1,911 |
| 1927 | 1,932 |
| 1928 | 1,821 |
| 1929 | 1,712 |
| 1930 | 1,602 |
| 1931 | 1,567 |
| 1932 | 1,552 |
| 1933 | 1,423 |
| 1934 | 1,490 |
| 1935 | 1,416 |
| 1936 | 1,354 |
| 1937 | 1,428 |
| 1938 | 1,424 |
| 1939 | 1,428 |
| 1940 | 1,452 |
| 1941 | 1,586 |
| 1942 | 1,692 |
| 1943 | 1,731 |
| 1944 | 1,630 |
| 1945 | 1,570 |
| 1946 | 1,662 |
| 1947 | 1,938 |
| 1948 | 1,967 |
| 1949 | 2,023 |
| 1950 | 2,194 |
| 1951 | 2,355 |
| 1952 | 2,448 |
| 1953 | 2,424 |
| 1954 | 2,462 |
| 1955 | 2,458 |
| 1956 | 2,477 |
| 1957 | 2,502 |
| 1958 | 2,267 |
| 1959 | 2,342 |
| 1960 | 2,255 |
| 1961 | 2,397 |
| 1962 | 2,522 |
| 1963 | 2,364 |
| 1964 | 2,516 |
| 1965 | 2,352 |
| 1966 | 2,390 |
| 1967 | 2,524 |
| 1968 | 3,039 |
| 1969 | 3,395 |
| 1970 | 3,949 |
| 1971 | 4,277 |
| 1972 | 4,516 |
| 1973 | 5,257 |
| 1974 | 7,221 |
| 1975 | 9,592 |
| 1976 | 10,725 |
| 1977 | 12,170 |
| 1978 | 11,487 |
| 1979 | 12,593 |
| 1980 | 13,706 |
| 1981 | 14,430 |
| 1982 | 13,898 |
| 1983 | 13,382 |
| 1984 | 13,342 |
| 1985 | 13,515 |
| 1986 | 13,878 |
| 1987 | 14,963 |
| 1988 | 15,281 |
| 1989 | 15,788 |
| 1990 | 14,669 |
| 1991 | 13,910 |
| 1992 | 13,484 |
| 1993 | 12,710 |
| 1994 | 12,823 |
| 1995 | 12,742 |
| 1996 | 13,809 |
| 1997 | 13,287 |
| 1998 | 13,078 |
| 1999 | 13,693 |
| 2000 | 14,868 |
| 2001 | 14,356 |
| 2002 | 13,518 |
| 2003 | 14,108 |
| 2004 | 13,896 |
| 2005 | 13,604 |
| 2006 | 13,777 |
| 2007 | 13,297 |
| 2008 | 12,980 |
| 2009 | 13,132 |
| 2010 | 12,461 |
| 2011 | 13,103 |
| 2012 | 12,848 |
| 2013 | 13,532 |
| 2014 | 13,844 |
| 2015 | 13,750 |
| 2016 | 14,694 |
| 2017 | 13,863 |
| 2018 | 13,503 |
| 2019 | 13,050 |
| 2020 | 12,264 |
| 2021 | 11,901 |
| 2022 | 10,914 |
| 2023 | 10,220 |
| 2024 | 9,820 |
Benjamin through the decades
- Benjamin peaked in 1989, when 15,788 babies were named Benjamin in the US.
- Over the last 10 years of data (2015–2024), use of Benjamin has fallen 6% compared to the 10 years before that.
- Benjamin currently ranks #11 in the US and is cooling off.
Nicknames
BenBenny
Variants & spellings
Benjamín
Famous people named Benjamin
- Benjamin Franklin — statesman and inventor