Benjamin
Benjamin is a boys' name of Hebrew origin meaning “son of the right hand.” It ranked #7 in the United States in 2025. From the Hebrew Binyamin, meaning 'son of the right hand' or 'son of the south.
how do you pronounce Benjamin?
BEN-jah-min
Hear it spoken aloud with our AI pronunciation tool.
what does Benjamin mean?
The name Benjamin means “son of the right hand.” It comes from the Hebrew language tradition.
From the Hebrew Binyamin, meaning 'son of the right hand' or 'son of the south.' In the Hebrew Bible, Benjamin was the youngest and beloved son of Jacob and Rachel, the patriarch of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. The name has remained continuously popular across Western cultures.
where does the name Benjamin come from?
From the Hebrew בִּנְיָמִין (Binyamin), joining ben, meaning son, with yamin, meaning right hand. Because Hebrew orientation faced east, yamin also meant south, so the name can be read as son of the south — though the right hand sense, implying favour and strength, is the one usually intended.
the history of Benjamin
Genesis records the naming twice over: Rachel, dying in childbirth, calls him Ben-Oni, son of my sorrow, and Jacob immediately renames him Binyamin. The tribe of Benjamin produced Israel's first king, Saul. Benjamin Franklin carried the name into the modern age, and it has stayed in the American top twenty for decades.
how popular is this name?
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 2024 | #7 |
| 2023 | #7 |
| 2022 | #7 |
| 2021 | #7 |
| 2020 | #7 |
Source: SSA National Baby Names Dataset
what are the nicknames and variants of Benjamin?
Nicknames
Variants around the world
who are famous people named Benjamin?
- Benjamin Franklin (Founding Father)
- Benjamin Netanyahu (Israeli Prime Minister)
- Ben Affleck (actor)
- Ben Stiller (actor)
what names are similar to Benjamin?
what names go well with Benjamin?
Sibling names that share Benjamin's rhythm and register without echoing it too closely.
Last reviewed April 30, 2026 · Curated by HushName editorial
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