Benjamin
Hebrew Binyamin, “son of the right hand,” or by extension “son of the south.”
Popularity, 1880–2025
Jacob's youngest and best-loved son in Genesis, a favorite in America since Benjamin Franklin's day.
Benjamin appears in the national records from the very first year, 1880. It has ranked among the top 100 names for American boys in 105 different years between 1880 and 2025. It spent 8 years inside the top 10. Its biggest year was 1989, when 15,733 newborn boys received the name, ranking it No. 29 nationally. Its best ranking came in 2016, at No. 6. In 2025 it ranked No. 11 for boys. All told, 829,312 Americans have been given the name since 1880.
Related names
Other spellings on record: Benjiman (4,307), Benjamen (3,687), Benjaman (2,024), Benjamine (1,807) (total births since 1880)
Other names that share a story: Ben
Explore Benjamin interactively →By the decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 5,407 | No. 21 |
| 1890s | 4,460 | No. 37 |
| 1900s | 4,009 | No. 56 |
| 1910s | 17,310 | No. 64 |
| 1920s | 21,028 | No. 82 |
| 1930s | 14,613 | No. 113 |
| 1940s | 17,184 | No. 124 |
| 1950s | 23,833 | No. 122 |
| 1960s | 25,609 | No. 91 |
| 1970s | 81,332 | No. 29 |
| 1980s | 141,366 | No. 28 |
| 1990s | 133,939 | No. 29 |
| 2000s | 137,309 | No. 19 |
| 2010s | 134,509 | No. 6 |
| 2020s | 64,922 | No. 7 |
Births and rank shown for boys, the sex more often given the name. The Social Security Administration omits name–year combinations with fewer than five births.
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Data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby-name file, 1880–2025.