Benjamin
/B-EH-N-JH-AH-M-IH-N/
Son of the right hand, the favoured child — Benjamin is the youngest son of Jacob and Rachel in Genesis, the child whose birth cost his mother her life and whose name she changed with her dying breath from Ben-Oni, son of my sorrow, to Benjamin, son of fortune. His name carries the ache of a love that survives loss and the fierce protectiveness a family wraps around its youngest
Get Benjamin's full report — patron saint, feast day & a portrait — freeQuick — what every Christian parent asks about Benjamin:
How well does Benjamin fit your family?
This page tells you what Benjamin means. The app tells you whether it's right for your baby — scored against your family & your heritage, and your baby's birth details.
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Six signals — scored for your family & heritage, not in the abstract:
Meaning & origin
Yes — Benjamin is a Christian boy name of Hebrew origin, meaning “Son of the right hand, the favoured child — Benjamin is the youngest son of Jacob and Rachel in Genesis, the child whose birth cost his mother her life and whose name she changed with her dying breath from Ben-Oni, son of my sorrow, to Benjamin, son of fortune. His name carries the ache of a love that survives loss and the fierce protectiveness a family wraps around its youngest”. It also appears in Jewish tradition.
Benjamin is a boy's name of Hebrew origin, traditionally used in Christian families. The name means "Son of the right hand, the favoured child — Benjamin is the youngest son of Jacob and Rachel in Genesis, the child whose birth cost his mother her life and whose name she changed with her dying breath from Ben-Oni, son of my sorrow, to Benjamin, son of fortune. His name carries the ache of a love that survives loss and the fierce protectiveness a family wraps around its youngest" and belongs to the Love cluster — names for children loved deeply before they arrive.
Beyond its Christian heritage, Benjamin is also used in Jewish traditions, reflecting how this name has traveled across cultures.
Common among American, European, MiddleEastern, Israeli, Singaporean families, Benjamin carries cultural weight that goes beyond its dictionary definition — it's a name with a story and a community.
The patron saint & feast day behind Benjamin
Many Christian names carry a patron saint and a feast day (name day) — a tradition of choosing a name for the saint a child is born near, or one the family holds dear. Benjamin lives in this tradition of meaning and heritage.
NameRoot connects the dots. See Benjamin's patron saint, its feast day, and whether it aligns with your baby's birth — alongside its full family score.
See Benjamin's saint & feast day →What does Benjamin's numerology say?
Numerology assigns each name a single-digit destiny number by summing its letter values. Different schools use different mappings — NameRoot computes both so you can see how Benjamin resonates in either tradition.
Benjamin's destiny number is 5 — but a number only matters in context. The app matches it to your family's own numbers for a real compatibility read. See Benjamin's full reading →
Does Benjamin go with your family's names?
Benjamin breaks into 8 sounds: /B-EH-N-JH-AH-M-IH-N/. The real test isn't how it sounds alone — it's how it sounds beside the names already in your family: yours, your partner's, and any brothers or sisters. NameRoot scores that harmony, so Benjamin sits naturally next to a Mum and Dad like Michael & Anna, or a big sister named Gianna — no awkward clashes, no two names that blur together. Hear Benjamin beside your family's names →
Nicknames
Common affectionate forms of Benjamin — useful for everyday family conversation, early childhood, or as standalone given names themselves.
Names similar to Benjamin
If Benjamin resonates with you, these names live in the same world — drawn from the same tradition, sharing the same meaning, or echoing a similar sound.
From the same tradition
Other Christian boy names, common in American families
Sharing the same meaning
Other Christian boy names from the Love cluster
Names that sound similar
Christian boy names that open with the same syllables as Benjamin
Explore more names
Keep exploring names like Benjamin — by tradition, by meaning, or by first letter.
Common questions about Benjamin
What does the name Benjamin mean?
Benjamin means "Son of the right hand, the favoured child — Benjamin is the youngest son of Jacob and Rachel in Genesis, the child whose birth cost his mother her life and whose name she changed with her dying breath from Ben-Oni, son of my sorrow, to Benjamin, son of fortune. His name carries the ache of a love that survives loss and the fierce protectiveness a family wraps around its youngest." It is a boy name of Hebrew origin, traditionally used in Christian families.
Is Benjamin a boy or girl name?
Benjamin is most commonly used as a boy name.
What is the origin of the name Benjamin?
Benjamin is of Hebrew origin, used in Christian, Jewish traditions, commonly among American, European, MiddleEastern families.
Is Benjamin a Christian name?
Yes. Benjamin is a boy name traditionally used in Christian families, of Hebrew origin. It also appears in Jewish tradition.
What does Benjamin mean in Hebrew?
Benjamin originates from Hebrew, where it means "Son of the right hand, the favoured child — Benjamin is the youngest son of Jacob and Rachel in Genesis, the child whose birth cost his mother her life and whose name she changed with her dying breath from Ben-Oni, son of my sorrow, to Benjamin, son of fortune. His name carries the ache of a love that survives loss and the fierce protectiveness a family wraps around its youngest."
What are common nicknames for Benjamin?
Common short forms of Benjamin include Ben, Benny, Benji.
What is the numerology of Benjamin?
Benjamin has a Pythagorean destiny number of 5 — freedom and adventurous change.
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