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BabyNames
Boy name#37 of boy names

Benjamin

Pronounced B EH1 N JH AH0 M AE1 N (ARPABET)

  • 3 syllables
  • Peaked 1989
  • 145 years in use
  • Biblical
  • 3 spellings
Compare

How popular is Benjamin?

Benjamin is a boys' name, and has been in the record since the data starts in 1880. It has been given to 826,046 children — the 37th most common boys' name on record.

Its use has been broadly flat across the past two decades. Its best single year was 1989, when 15,850 children were given it.

Three other spellings are counted in that total — Benjamen, Benjaman and Benjamyn — because they are pronounced identically.

05,00010,00015,00020,00018901920195019802010
1989Boys: 15,850Girls: 55

Spelling variants

These spellings sound identical to Benjamin and are counted together with it, which is why the totals here are higher than a single-spelling count.

  • Benjamen
  • Benjaman
  • Benjamyn

Nicknames

Common short forms: Ben.

Characteristics

  • Biblical (Person)
  • 3 syllables
Phonetic detail
Pronunciations:
B EH1 N JH AH0 M AE1 N · B EH1 N JH AH0 M AH0 N · B EH1 N JH AH0 M EH1 N
Stress pattern:
101 · 100 · 101
Syllables:
3

Stress digits mark unstressed (0), primary (1) and secondary (2) syllables.

Names like Benjamin

Same first letter and syllable count, peaking around the same time.

Sibling names for Benjamin

Names from the same era with a matching rhythm but a different initial.

Frequently asked questions

How popular is the name Benjamin?
Benjamin ranks 37th among boys' names in US records, with 826,046 births since 1880. Over the past decade it accounts for 124,204.
Is Benjamin a unisex name?
No. Benjamin is recorded almost entirely as a boys' name; births to the other gender are too few to register as a share.
When was Benjamin most popular?
1989, when 15,850 children were given the name. It has been in use for 145 years and is still recorded as of 2024.
What are common nicknames for Benjamin?
Ben. These are recorded as separate names in their own right, so each has its own page and its own popularity curve.
How else is Benjamin spelled?
Benjamen, Benjaman, Benjamyn. All of these sound the same and are counted together in the totals on this page.