Benjamon
Son of the right hand; son of good fortune.
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Benjamon. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Benjamon today is around 36 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Benjamon births was 1917 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Benjamon. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Benjamon. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1917
9 babies that year
Average age
36
years old
1993 SSA rank
#8,831
Tracked since 1917
Popularity
Benjamon: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Benjamon from the 1910s through to the 1990s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1910s, with 9 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1910s peak, Benjamon remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Benjamon by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Benjamon during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Benjamon
The given name Benjamon is a variant spelling of the more common name Benjamin. Its origins can be traced back to the Hebrew name Binyamin, which means "son of the right hand" or "son of the south." This name is derived from the Hebrew words "ben" meaning son, and "yamin" meaning right hand or south.
The name Benjamon is closely tied to the biblical figure Benjamin, one of the twelve sons of Jacob and the founder of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. The tribe of Benjamin played a significant role in the history of ancient Israel and is mentioned numerous times in the Hebrew Bible and other religious texts.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Benjamon can be found in the Old Testament book of Genesis, where Benjamin is described as the youngest son of Jacob and Rachel. The name also appears in other biblical texts, such as the books of Judges and 1 Samuel.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Benjamon or its variants. One of the earliest recorded examples is Benjamon ben Jehuda (born around 1270 CE), a prominent Jewish philosopher and commentator from Spain.
Another notable figure was Benjamon Disraeli (1804-1881), a British statesman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in the 19th century. He was of Jewish descent and was known for his literary works as well as his political career.
In the field of literature, Benjamon Franklin (1706-1790), one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, was a renowned author, philosopher, and scientist. His works, such as "Poor Richard's Almanack" and his autobiographical writings, have had a lasting impact on American literature and culture.
In the realm of music, Benjamon Britten (1913-1976) was a renowned English composer, conductor, and pianist. He is considered one of the most influential British composers of the 20th century, known for his operas, orchestral works, and vocal pieces.
Finally, Benjamon Zephaniah (born 1958) is a British writer, poet, and activist of Jamaican descent. He is known for his unique blend of poetry and social commentary, often addressing issues of race, culture, and identity.
These are just a few examples of the many individuals throughout history who have borne the name Benjamon or its variants, each making significant contributions to their respective fields and leaving a lasting legacy.
People
Benjamon + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Benjamon as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with B
Other first names starting with B with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Benjamon: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Benjamon?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Benjamon going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Benjamon a common name?
We classify Benjamon as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 14 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Benjamon most popular?
The single biggest year for Benjamon was 1917, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Benjamon is about 36 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Benjamon in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Benjamon a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Benjamon in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Benjamon still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Benjamon in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Benjamon can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people share the name Benjamon?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.