Benjamin
Benjamin is a common given name for males, derived from Hebrew בִּנְיָמִין, Binyāmīn, translating as 'son of the right [hand]' in both Hebrew and Arabic languages, although in the Samaritan Pentateuch the name appears as Binyamem: 'son of my days'.
- English
- French
- German
- Dutch
Meaning & Origin of Benjamin
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Benjamin is a common given name for males, derived from Hebrew בִּנְיָמִין, Binyāmīn, translating as 'son of the right [hand]' in both Hebrew and Arabic languages, although in the Samaritan Pentateuch the name appears as Binyamem: 'son of my days'.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
- French
- German
- Dutch
- Danish
- Swedish
- Norwegian
- Finnish
- Slovene
- Croatian
- Biblical
- Hungarian
- Spanish
- Czech
- Slovak
- Icelandic
The Story of Benjamin
Benjamin first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 490 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1989: 15,733 births, good for #29 nationwide. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #13 among baby boy names with 9,202 births, falling sharply (-23%). In total, more than 836K Benjamins have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Benjamin
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Benjamin. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Benjamin
Phonetically similar names — useful when Benjamin is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Benjamin
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In which U.S. states is Benjamin most popular?
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About the name Benjamin
Benjamin is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 836K births in the dataset. Benjamin's peak popularity came in 1989 when it ranked #6. Use the chart and map above to compare Benjamin's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1989 →
- Names of the 1980s →
- Names starting with "B" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.