Bennjamin
A masculine given name of Hebrew origin meaning "son of the right hand".
Name Census estimates that about 10 living Americans carry the first name Bennjamin. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Bennjamin today is around 16 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Bennjamin births was 2005 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Bennjamin. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Bennjamin. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
10
~ 1 in 34,275,434 Americans
Peak year
2005
5 babies that year
Average age
16
years old
2014 SSA rank
#12,313
Tracked since 2005
Popularity
Bennjamin: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Bennjamin from the 2000s through to the 2010s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 5 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
Bennjamin 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 Bennjamin 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 Bennjamin
The name Bennjamin originates from the Hebrew language and culture, with its roots dating back to ancient Biblical times. It is derived from the Hebrew words "ben" meaning "son" and "yamin" meaning "right hand." The name can be translated to mean "son of the right hand" or "son of the south."
The earliest recorded use of the name Bennjamin can be found in the Old Testament of the Bible, where it refers to one of the twelve tribes of Israel, descended from Benjamin, the youngest son of the patriarch Jacob and his wife Rachel. The tribe of Benjamin played a significant role in the history of ancient Israel and was known for its bravery and skill in warfare.
One of the most famous biblical figures bearing the name Bennjamin was Benjamin, the son of Jacob, who was born around 1700 BCE. He is portrayed as the beloved son of his father's old age and is honored in the Book of Genesis.
In the New Testament, there is also a mention of a man named Benjamin, who is described as a disciple and companion of the Apostle Paul in the Book of Acts.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the name Bennjamin. One of the most famous was Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790), an American polymath, author, inventor, and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States.
Another prominent figure was Benjamin Disraeli (1804-1881), a British politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and was a renowned writer and orator.
In the world of literature, Benjamin Jonson (1572-1637) was an English playwright, poet, and literary critic, considered one of the most influential figures of the English Renaissance.
In the field of science, Benjamin Banneker (1731-1806) was a free African American mathematician, astronomer, and surveyor, best known for his contributions to the construction of Washington, D.C.
Lastly, Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) was an English composer, conductor, and pianist, widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in 20th-century classical music.
People
Bennjamin + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Bennjamin 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
Bennjamin: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Bennjamin?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 10 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Bennjamin 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 34,275,434 US residents.
Is Bennjamin a common name?
We classify Bennjamin as "Very Rare". It ranks above 28.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 10 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Bennjamin most popular?
The single biggest year for Bennjamin was 2005, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Bennjamin is about 16 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Bennjamin in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Bennjamin a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Bennjamin 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.
Is Bennjamin still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Bennjamin in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Bennjamin can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How common is the name Bennjamin?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.