Baby Names Boy Names Benjamin Name Meaning Learn more about the origin and popularity of the name Benjamin. By Wendy Wisner Published on May 29, 2024 Fact checked by Sarah Scott In This Article View All In This Article How Popular Is the Name Benjamin? Name Variations Similar Names Common Nicknames for Benjamin Suggested Sibling Names Famous People Named Benjamin Close The name Benjamin is derived from the Hebrew name Binyamin, meaning "son of the right hand." It is popular in Jewish, Christian, and Muslim faith traditions, as Benjamin was the youngest of Jacob's 12 sons in the Old Testament of the Bible. The expression "the Benjamin of the family" means the youngest child. Origin: The name Benjamin comes from the Hebrew words ben (son) and yāmīn (right side or right hand).Gender: Benjamin is traditionally the masculine form of the name. Benjamina has been used as a feminine variation.Pronunciation: BEN-ja-min Editor's Note Although baby names are often separated by gender, Parents believes that gender need not play any role in your name selection process. It’s important to select the name that you feel is best suited for your new baby. How Popular Is the Name Benjamin? The name Benjamin has been one of the top 100 boy names in the US since 1968. By 1974, it reached the top 50. It continued to climb in popularity, breaking into the top 20 in 2009 and the top 10 in 2016. In 2023, the name Benjamin ranked at the No. 11 position name for the most popular boys in America. Name Variations As a biblical name, Benjamin has an equivalent in virtually every known language. These include: Beniamino (Italian) Benjaminas (Lithuanian) Běnjiémíng (Chinese) Binyamin (Arabic) Bünyamin (Turkish) Peni (Hawaiian) Venyamin (Russian) Similar Names Though Ben is often a short form of the name Benjamin, Ben (meaning "son" in Hebrew) can also be a name in its own right. The shortened version, Ben, has been in the top 1,000 popular boy names since 1900. In 2023, it ranked at No. 796. Additionally, there are several other names that start with Ben, including: BenedictBenicioBenitoBennettBensonBenvolio (best known as a character in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet). Other names starting with "B" include: BeckettBernardBlakeBoydBradleyBrentBrianBruce Other boy names from the Old Testament include: AaronAbrahamElijahEzraDanielDavidJacobJoshuaNathanNoahSamsonSeth Common Nicknames for Benjamin Benjamin is often shortened to Ben, Benji, Bennie, or Benny. Suggested Sibling Names Some sibling names for Benjamin might be: DavidDinahJosephLeahMiriamPeterRachelSamuel Famous People Named Benjamin Many people of note over the years have had the name Benjamin or one of its variations. Below are a few of the most notable. Famous Benjamins Pope Benjamin II of Alexandria, Coptic Pope between 1327 and 1339Benjamin Bratt (born 1963), American actor and producerBenjamin Britten (1913–1976), English composerBenjamin Butler (1818–1893), American lawyer, politician, soldier, and businessmanBenjamin Disraeli (1804–1881), a 19th-century Prime Minister of the United KingdomBenjamin Franklin (1706–1790), one of the Founding Fathers of the United StatesBenjamin Harrison (1833–1901), 23rd President of the United StatesBenjamin Netanyahu (born 1949), Israeli Prime MinisterBenjamin Orr (1947–2000), American musician, bass guitarist, and singer-songwriter of the CarsBenjamin Rush (1745–1813), American politician, educator, and founder of Dickinson CollegeBenjamin Lee Whorf (1897–1941), American linguist, known for his contributions to the Sapir-Whorf hypothesisBenjamin Wildman-Tobriner (born 1984), 2008 Gold Medal Olympic swimmer and former world record-holder Famous Bens and Bennys Ben Affleck (born 1972), American film actor, screenwriter, and directorBen Barnes (born 1981), English actor, best known for his role as Prince Caspian in The Chronicles of NarniaBen Bernanke (born 1953), former Chairman of the United States Federal ReserveBen Carson (born 1951), American neurosurgeon and former Secretary of Housing and Urban DevelopmentBenny Carter (1907–2003), American jazz musician, composer, arranger, and bandleaderBen Gibbard (born 1976), American musician, lead singer of the alt-rock band, Death Cab for CutieBenny Goodman (1909–1986), jazz musician known as the King of SwingBen Hogan (1912-1997), American professional golferBen Jonson (1572–1637), English playwright and poetBen Kingsley (born 1943), Academy Award-winning English actorBen Roethlisberger (born 1982), American football player, retired quarterback for the Pittsburgh SteelersBen Stein (born 1944), American law professor, economist, and actor, known for his role in Ferris Bueller’s Day OffBen Stiller (born 1965), American actor, writer, and director Fictional Benjamins and Bens Benjamin, a donkey in the novel Animal Farm by George OrwellBenjamin Bunny, Peter Rabbit's cousin in the works of Beatrix PotterBenjamin Button, title character in the film The Curious Case of Benjamin ButtonBenjamin Parker, the uncle of Peter Parker from Spider-ManCapt. Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce, the main character in the film and TV series M*A*S*HBenjamin Sisko, Commanding Officer of Deep Space Nine in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine television seriesBenjamin Kirby Tennyson, the title character in the Cartoon Network’s Ben 10Benji, a dog who is the main character in the Benji film series More Baby Names Still searching for the perfect baby name? Check out these related baby name lists for even more options: Top 1,000 Baby Boy Names 100 Gender-Neutral Baby Names 275 Popular Baby Names for Twins Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit Sources Parents uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Top 10 Baby Names: Popularity of a Name, Benjamin. Social Security Administration. 2024. Top Ten Baby Names: Popularity of a Name, Ben. Social Security Administration. 2024.