Benji
A diminutive of Benjamin, a Hebrew name meaning "son of the right hand".
Name Census estimates that about 2,105 living Americans carry the first name Benji. It is a predominantly male name (97.1% of registrations). The average person named Benji today is around 28 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Benji births was 1975 (176 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Benji. 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.
Key insights
- • Although Benji is used almost entirely for boys, the SSA data does show 63 girls registered with the name since 1880.
People living today
2.1K
~ 1 in 162,829 Americans
Peak year
1975
176 babies that year
Average age
28
years old
2024 SSA rank
#1,627
Tracked since 1952
Gender
Gender distribution for Benji
Benji leans heavily male at 97.1% of total registrations, but 63 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Benji as a male name
- Ranked #1,627 in 2024
- 104 male births in 2024
- Peak: 1975 (168 births)
Benji as a female name
- Ranked #15,554 in 2023
- 5 female births in 2023
- Peak: 1975 (8 births)
Popularity
Benji: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Benji from the 1950s through to the 2020s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 602 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Benji 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 Benji during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Benjis live
The SSA's state-level files cover 23 states and territories. California, Texas, Georgia recorded the most babies named Benji, while Utah, Oregon, Maryland recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 28 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Benji
The name Benji is a diminutive form of the Hebrew name Benjamin, which means "son of the right hand" or "son of the south." The name Benjamin is derived from the Hebrew words "ben" meaning "son" and "yamin" meaning "right hand" or "south." The name has its origins in the biblical figure Benjamin, one of the twelve sons of Jacob and the progenitor of one of the tribes of Israel.
In the Bible, Benjamin is portrayed as the beloved youngest son of Jacob and his wife Rachel. The story of his birth is tragic, as Rachel dies during childbirth and names him Ben-Oni, meaning "son of my sorrow," but Jacob renames him Benjamin. The tribe of Benjamin played a significant role in the history of ancient Israel and was known for its fierce warriors.
The earliest recorded use of the name Benji can be traced back to the Middle Ages, when it was used as a diminutive form of Benjamin among Jewish communities in Europe. Over time, the name gained popularity and spread to other cultures and languages.
One of the earliest famous individuals named Benji was Benji Eckstein, a German-Jewish actor and comedian who lived from 1871 to 1917. He was known for his roles in Yiddish theater and films during the early 20th century.
Another notable figure was Benji Arieli, an Israeli songwriter and composer who lived from 1921 to 2022. He wrote numerous popular songs and composed the music for several Israeli films.
In the world of sports, Benji Marshall, a New Zealand rugby league player born in 1985, has made a significant impact. He is considered one of the greatest players in the history of the sport and has represented New Zealand at the international level.
Benji Madden, an American musician and guitarist, was born in 1979 and is best known as a member of the pop punk band Good Charlotte, which he co-founded with his twin brother, Joel.
Benji Gregory, an American actor and comedian born in 1979, is also noteworthy for his roles in various television shows and films, including "Baywatch" and "The Big Lebowski."
While the name Benji has its roots in the Hebrew language and biblical history, it has transcended cultural and linguistic boundaries and has been embraced by people from diverse backgrounds around the world.
People
Benji + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Benji 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
Benji: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Benji?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 2,105 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Benji 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 162,829 US residents.
Is Benji a common name?
We classify Benji as "Rare". It ranks above 93.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 2,205 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Benji most popular?
The single biggest year for Benji was 1975, when 176 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Benji is about 28 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Benji a male name?
Yes, 97.1% of people registered as Benji 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.