Benjamin
Benjamin was the 11th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 9,762 babies. Its best year was 2016, when it ranked 6th; the most babies were born in 1989 (15,733). Over the last ten years it has moved down 1 places. More babies were named Benjamin in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Meaning Meaning disputed · Hebrew
Say it BEN-juh-min /ˈbɛndʒəmɪn/
- Rank in 2025
- #11 boys, down 4 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 9,762boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 198915,733 babies
- Total since 1880
- 829,312babies recorded
What does the name Benjamin mean?
Benjamin is the name of Jacob and Rachel's youngest son. The Hebrew binyamin is usually read as 'son of the right hand', which can also mean 'son of the south'. Some ancient Jewish interpreters read it as 'son of days', meaning a child of old age. In Genesis 35:18 his dying mother names him Ben-oni, and his father renames him Benjamin.
בִּנְיָמִין (Biblical Hebrew, “binyamin: 'son of the right hand / south' or 'son of days'”)
How sure is this? Disputed. Wiktionary records the competing ancient readings ('right/south' or 'days').
See also: Hebrew names.
Sources for this meaning
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources (ed. S. L. Uckelman), Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Benjamin'
- Hebrew Bible, Genesis 35.18, JPS Tanakh: Gender-Sensitive Edition, with translator's note (via Sefaria)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (names.zip, yob*.txt), team3 computation
- Wikidata item Q2424149
- Wiktionary, entry 'Benjamin'
Nicknames for Benjamin
The usual nicknames for Benjamin are Ben, Benny and Benji. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 boys named Benjamin in the last five years, 3 were named Ben, against 3 twenty years earlier. Benny and Benji are also gaining on the full name.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ben · also for Benedict, Bennett, Benson | Traditional | #843 | 1,574 |
| Benny · also for Benedict, Bennett, Benicio | Traditional | #841 | 1,197 |
| Benji · also for Benedict | Modern | #1,341 | 567 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Benjamins go by each one.
Benjamin popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 2,482 since 1914, 8 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #11 | 9,762 |
| 2020 | #7 | 12,264 |
| 2010 | #22 | 12,439 |
| 2000 | #26 | 14,845 |
| 1990 | #33 | 14,633 |
| 1980 | #32 | 13,622 |
| 1970 | #81 | 3,926 |
| 1960 | #155 | 2,249 |
| 1950 | #123 | 2,185 |
| 1940 | #128 | 1,446 |
| 1930 | #115 | 1,594 |
| 1920 | #83 | 2,309 |
| 1910 | #70 | 536 |
| 1900 | #57 | 450 |
| 1890 | #37 | 537 |
| 1880 | #32 | 490 |
How popular is Benjamin, counting every spelling?
Benjamin is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #13 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #11 for Benjamin on its own. Together these spellings went to 9,776 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benjamin | 9,762 | #11 | 52,658 |
| Benjamyn | 7 | #9,832 | 47 |
| Benjamen | 7 | #9,831 | 43 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Benjamin?
9,762 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Benjamin (2.71 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Benjamin born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is about 1 in 20. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, a typical elementary school of 430 pupils would have about 1.2 children named Benjamin.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Benjamin?
About 714,400 people born in the US named Benjamin are alive today, with a median age of 28; half are between 15 and 42. That makes Benjamin mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Benjamin by state
How common Benjamin was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Vermont (2.2×), New Hampshire (2.2×), Rhode Island (2.1×), District of Columbia (2.1×), Wyoming (2.0×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Mississippi, Louisiana, Georgia.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Benjamin: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Benjamin, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Benjamin · Sibling names for Benjamin
Questions about the name Benjamin
What does Benjamin mean?
The meaning of Benjamin is disputed: Wiktionary records the competing ancient readings ('right/south' or 'days').
How popular is the name Benjamin?
Benjamin was the 11th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 9,762 babies. Its best year was 2016, when it ranked 6th; the most babies were born in 1989 (15,733). Over the last ten years it has moved down 1 places. More babies were named Benjamin in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Is Benjamin a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Benjamin in the US.
Where is Benjamin most popular?
In 2021–2025, Benjamin was most common in Vermont (13.22 per 1,000 boys), followed by New Hampshire and Rhode Island.