Benzion
Masculine name of Hebrew origin meaning "son of Zion".
Name Census estimates that about 1,021 living Americans carry the first name Benzion. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Benzion today is around 25 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Benzion births was 2019 (35 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Benzion. 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
1.0K
~ 1 in 335,705 Americans
Peak year
2019
35 babies that year
Average age
25
years old
2024 SSA rank
#3,326
Tracked since 1955
Popularity
Benzion: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Benzion from the 1950s through to the 2020s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 270 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Benzion remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Benzion 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 Benzion during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Benzions live
Origin
Meaning and history of Benzion
The name Benzion originates from the Hebrew language and culture, dating back to ancient times. It is derived from the Hebrew words "ben" meaning "son" and "zion" meaning "Zion" or "Jerusalem." The name can be interpreted to mean "son of Zion" or "son of Jerusalem."
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Benzion is found in the Talmud, an ancient Jewish text that discusses Jewish law and tradition. The name appears in various rabbinical sources and writings throughout the centuries.
In the Middle Ages, the name Benzion was particularly popular among Jewish communities across Europe. It gained prominence as a way to honor the connection to the holy city of Jerusalem and the longing for a return to Zion.
Some notable historical figures who bore the name Benzion include:
1. Benzion Lichtstein (1865-1941), a prominent Lithuanian-born Rabbi and leader of the Musar movement, which emphasized ethical and spiritual development.
2. Benzion Netanyahu (1910-2012), a renowned Israeli historian, professor, and father of Benjamin Netanyahu, the former Prime Minister of Israel.
3. Benzion Mileikowsky (1879-1944), a Polish-born American rabbi and leader of the Orthodox Jewish community in the United States.
4. Benzion Ben-Yishai (1896-1979), an Israeli politician and signatory of the Israeli Declaration of Independence.
5. Benzion Dinur (1884-1973), an Israeli historian and educator who served as the second Minister of Education of Israel.
Throughout history, the name Benzion has held significant meaning and importance within the Jewish tradition, symbolizing the deep connection to the land of Israel and the aspirations of the Jewish people.
People
Benzion + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Benzion 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
Benzion: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Benzion?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,021 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Benzion 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 335,705 US residents.
Is Benzion a common name?
We classify Benzion as "Rare". It ranks above 90.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,051 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Benzion most popular?
The single biggest year for Benzion was 2019, when 35 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Benzion is about 25 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Benzion a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Benzion 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.