Benjamin (name)


Benjamin is a common given name for males, derived from Hebrew, Binyāmīn, translating as 'son of the right ' in both Hebrew and Arabic languages, although in the Samaritan Pentateuch the name appears as Binyaamem: 'son of my days'.
Benjamin is often shortened to Ben, and sometimes to Benny, Benito, Benjy, Benji, etc. It is also a patronymic surname. Like many biblical names, it is popular in the Jewish, Christian and Muslim faiths alike, having many variant forms in other languages.
The "Benjamin of the family" is a phrase used in several languages to refer to the youngest son – especially when he is much younger than his brothers. Sometimes the name is chosen for a son born to mature parents unlikely to have more children, especially if he has several older siblings. Both of these usages derive from the biblical son of Jacob of that name, who occupied that position in his family.
Alternate versions of the name exist for females, like Benjamina.

Variants

Given name

Notable people with the name Benjamin or its variant spellings include:

Fictional characters

Surname

Fictional characters

  • Judy Benjamin, main character in the 1980 film Private Benjamin
  • Kikki Benjamin/Mew Kikki, English dub name of Bu-Ling Huang/Mew Pudding in the 2001 manga ''Tokyo Mew Mew''