Benjamin
Hebrew Binyamin, son of the right hand, which may originally have meant son of the south. Genesis gives it to Jacob's youngest son.
Benjamin in 2025
Benjamin was given to 9,770 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 18th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 339 babies born.
The history of Benjamin
Benjamin reached its highest point in 1989, when 15,788 babies were given the name, ranking 46th that year. Its best-ever ranking was 11th, in 2016.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 829,312 babies have been named Benjamin. Half of them were born before 1994, which places the name's centre of gravity with Millennials.
Benjamin by decade
| Decade | Babies named Benjamin | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 5,407 | 84 |
| 1890s | 4,460 | 117 |
| 1900s | 4,009 | 194 |
| 1910s | 17,342 | 160 |
| 1920s | 21,122 | 196 |
| 1930s | 14,684 | 252 |
| 1940s | 17,252 | 278 |
| 1950s | 23,928 | 266 |
| 1960s | 25,753 | 203 |
| 1970s | 81,782 | 48 |
| 1980s | 142,164 | 45 |
| 1990s | 134,207 | 42 |
| 2000s | 137,546 | 28 |
| 2010s | 134,680 | 11 |
| 2020s | 64,976 | 13 |
Where Benjamin is heading
Benjamin has fallen 29% over the past decade, from 13,750 babies in 2015 to 9,770 in 2025.
Names like Benjamin
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Benjamin.