boy (SSA Category)Hebrew OriginUS Rank #11 in 2025

Benjamin

Alternative forms & variants: Ben, Benny, Benji

Verified Meaning & Etymology

“Son of the right hand; son of the south or son of strength”

Linguistic heritage: Biblical Hebrew

Pronunciation
English Phonetic:BEN-juh-min
IPA (US English):/ˈbɛndʒəmɪn/
Source: Carnegie Mellon Pronouncing Dictionary (en-US)
Compare Benjamin With Another Name
Peak Popularity198915,733 births in peak year
2025 US Rank#119,770 births in 2025
Total US Registrations829,312Recorded since 1880
Demographic Ratio100% MaleBased on SSA application records

Historical US Popularity Trajectory

Annual recorded US births from 1880 to 2025 (US Social Security Administration)

03,9337,86711,80015,733188019091938196719962025
Peak US Popularity1989 (15,733 births)
Earliest RecordYear 1880
Recent 2025 Level9,762 births

Data source: United States Social Security Administration (1880–2025). The SSA privacy policy suppresses counts under 5. Data indicates biological sex entered on Social Security applications.

Names Similar to Benjamin

Calculated deterministically based on shared linguistic origins, styling, and popularity tier.

Source Citations & Review Provenance
Demographic Data:

United States Social Security Administration (SSA) National Data (1880–2025). Counts reflect 100% of Social Security card applications where year, sex, and state of birth are recorded.

Linguistic Derivation:

Meanings cross-referenced with Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Nurturepedia (MIT). Phonetics audited against the Carnegie Mellon University Pronouncing Dictionary (BSD).

Last reviewed by editorial check: 2026-10-28Submit a factual correction or inquiry →