The name Benjamin is of Hebrew origin and it means "son of the right hand" or "favored son." In the Old Testament of the Bible, Benjamin was the youngest son of Jacob and Rachel, and one of the twelve tribes of Israel was named after him.
The name Benjamin has been popular throughout history. It was borne by several early saints and scholars, including St. Benedict of Nursia, who founded the Benedictine order in the 6th century. The name also gained prominence during the Middle Ages when it was often used as a given name in England and France.
In recent years, Benjamin has become increasingly popular as a boys' name around the world. It is currently ranked among the top 10 most popular names for boys in several countries, including the United States, Canada, and Australia.
Overall, the name Benjamin has a rich history and a meaningful meaning that makes it appealing to parents looking for a traditional yet distinctive name for their son.
Here are some interesting statistics regarding the name Ben in the United States:
The name Ben has been consistently popular since the late 19th century, with over 84,729 babies named Ben born between 1880 and 2023.
The highest number of births for the name Ben occurred in 1915, with a total of 1,263 newborns. This was closely followed by 1918, which had 1,276 births.
The popularity of the name Ben started to decline after the 1920s, reaching its lowest point in the late 1960s with only around 500 births per year.
However, since the early 1990s, there has been a resurgence in the popularity of the name Ben. In 1997, there were 372 births, and this number continued to rise, reaching its most recent peak in 2006 with 455 births.
Despite fluctuations over time, the name Ben remains a popular choice among parents in the United States, with an average of around 325 births per year between 2016 and 2023.