Banjamin
Son of the right hand, from the Hebrew ben and yamin.
Name Census estimates that about 286 living Americans carry the first name Banjamin. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Banjamin today is around 38 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Banjamin births was 1987 (28 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Banjamin. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
286
~ 1 in 1,198,442 Americans
Peak year
1987
28 babies that year
Average age
38
years old
2017 SSA rank
#10,933
Tracked since 1914
Popularity
Banjamin: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Banjamin from the 1910s through to the 2010s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 162 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Banjamin by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Banjamin during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Banjamin
The name Banjamin is a relatively modern variation of the traditional Hebrew name Benjamin. The name's origins can be traced back to the ancient Hebrew language, where it is derived from the roots "ben" meaning "son" and "yamin" meaning "right hand" or "son of the right hand."
In the Old Testament of the Bible, Benjamin was one of the twelve sons of the patriarch Jacob. He was born to Jacob's second wife Rachel and was considered the youngest and most beloved of Jacob's sons. The name Benjamin held significant meaning as it symbolized the strength, protection, and favor associated with the right hand.
One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name Benjamin was Benjamin, the son of Jacob, who lived around the 18th or 17th century BCE. The tribe of Benjamin, one of the twelve tribes of Israel, was named after him, and they played an important role in the history of ancient Israel.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Benjamin. One of the most famous was Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790), the American polymath, politician, and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He was a renowned author, inventor, and diplomat, and his contributions to science and politics have left a lasting impact.
Another prominent Benjamin was Benjamin Disraeli (1804-1881), a British politician and writer who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice in the 19th century. He was known for his literary works and his significant role in shaping British politics during the Victorian era.
In the world of literature, Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) was an English composer, conductor, and music theorist who made significant contributions to the development of 20th-century classical music. His operas, such as "Peter Grimes" and "The Turn of the Screw," are considered masterpieces of modern opera.
The name Benjamin has also been associated with religious figures, such as Benjamin, the grandson of Jacob, who is mentioned in the Book of Genesis. Another notable bearer was Benjamin West (1738-1820), an American-born artist who became the second President of the Royal Academy of Arts in London.
While the name Banjamin is a relatively modern variation, it carries the rich historical and cultural significance of its Hebrew roots, representing strength, protection, and favor. The name has been borne by numerous notable figures across various fields throughout history, making it a name with a lasting legacy.
People
Banjamin + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Banjamin as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with B
Other first names starting with B with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Banjamin: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Banjamin?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 286 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Banjamin going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,198,442 US residents.
Is Banjamin a common name?
We classify Banjamin as "Very Rare". It ranks above 78.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 303 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Banjamin most popular?
The single biggest year for Banjamin was 1987, when 28 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Banjamin is about 38 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Banjamin a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Banjamin in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.