How to say it
BEN · ja · min
ˈbɛn.dʒə.mɪn
Masculine
Benjamin
Son of the right hand
What it means
From the Hebrew Binyamin. The roots are ben (son) and yamin (right hand). The youngest, the one held closest.
Benjamin is the youngest of Jacob's twelve sons in Genesis, named in grief. His mother Rachel called him Ben-Oni ('son of my sorrow') as she was dying, and his father quietly renamed him Binyamin, son of the right hand, the steadier place. The tribe that bore his name produced King Saul. The name itself moved through centuries of Jewish, Christian, and Puritan tradition without losing its weight. Benjamin Franklin linked it with American identity in the 18th century, and it's held the US top twenty for boys since the 1970s.
How to spell Benjamin
The standard spelling is Benjamin. Common variants include Ben, Benji, Benny, Benjamín, but Benjamin is the most widely used form.
Popularity over time
peaked at #6 in 2016, currently #11 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–2025. Reviewed July 2026. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Nickname
Ben covers nearly all situations; Benji and Benny show up in childhood but tend to drop off by adolescence.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Benjamin Franklin US founding father, printer, scientist, on the $100 bill
- Benjamin Netanyahu Israeli prime minister, multiple terms
- Ben Stiller Actor and director, Zoolander and Severance
Spelling variants
- Ben
- Benji
- Benny
- Benjamín
Names with the same feeling
See Benjamin from another angle
By style
Common questions
- What does the name Benjamin mean?
- From the Hebrew Binyamin. The roots are ben (son) and yamin (right hand). The youngest, the one held closest.
- What does Benjamin mean in Hebrew?
- In Hebrew, Benjamin means "Son of the right hand." Benjamin is the youngest of Jacob's twelve sons in Genesis, named in grief. His mother Rachel called him Ben-Oni ('son of my sorrow') as she was dying, and his father quietly renamed him Binyamin, son of the right hand, the steadier place. The tribe that bore his name produced King Saul. The name itself moved through centuries of Jewish, Christian, and Puritan tradition without losing its weight. Benjamin Franklin linked it with American identity in the 18th century, and it's held the US top twenty for boys since the 1970s.
- How do you pronounce Benjamin?
- Benjamin is pronounced ˈbɛn.dʒə.mɪn. Say it as BEN-ja-min, with the stress on the "ben" syllable.
- How do you spell Benjamin?
- The standard spelling is Benjamin. Common spelling variants include Ben, Benji, Benny, Benjamín.
- Is Benjamin a boy or girl name?
- Benjamin is traditionally a masculine name.
- How popular is the name Benjamin?
- Benjamin ranked #11 in the U.S. in 2025, according to Social Security Administration data.