Benjamin (name)

This article is about people with the name Benjamin. For history and origin, see Benjamin. For other uses, see Benjamin (disambiguation).

Benjamin is a popular given name for males, derived from Hebrew בנימין translating as "son of my right [hand]". It is often shortened to Ben, and sometimes to Benny, or Benjy. Benjamin 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.

In other languages

• Amharic: Biniam (ቢንያም)
• Portuguese: Benjamim
• Persian: Benyamin
• Russian: Veniamin
• Turkish: Bünyamin

Given name

People with the name Benjamin or its variant spellings include:

Benjamin
Russian icon of the Biblical Benjamin
Gender	Male
Origin
Meaning	Son of my right hand
Other names
Nickname(s)	Ben, Benny, Benji, Benjie, Bengie, Benson

• Benjamin Netanyahu (b. 1949) Israeli Prime Minister
• Benjamin II (1818–1864), the pen name of a Romanian traveler
• Benjamin (Khazar), ruler of the late ninth and early tenth centuries CE
• Benjamin (saint), early 5th century martyr in Persia, feast day on March 30
• Benjamin of Tudela, 12th century Spanish rabbi
• Patriarch Benjamin I, patriarch of Constantinople
• Pope Benjamin II of Alexandria (1327–1339), Coptic Pope
• Benjamin Agosto (b. 1982), American figure skater
• Benjamin Biolay (b. 1973), French singer, songwriter, producer and actor
• Benjamin Britten (1913–1976), British composer
• Benjamin Harrison (1833–1901), 23rd President of the United States
• Benjamin Franklin (1706–1790), one of the Founding Fathers of the United States
• Benjamin Okolski, American figure skater
• Benjamin Disraeli (1804–1881), a 19th Century Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
• Benjamin Kimutai (b. 1971), Kenyan long-distance runner
• Benjamin Leiner (Benny Leonard; "The Ghetto Wizard"; 1896-1947), American world champion lightweight Hall of Fame boxer
• Benjamin McKenzie (b. 1978), American actor
• Benjamin Mwangata (b. 1966), Tanzanian boxer
• Ben Affleck (b. 1972), American film screenwriter, director and actor
• Ben Barnes (actor) (b. 1981), British actor, Prince Caspian
• Ben Bernanke (b. 1953), current Chairman of the United States Federal Reserve
• Benjamin Zephaniah, poet and writer
• Benjamin Wade (1800–1878), American lawyer and United States Senator
• Benjamin Zhang Bin, mainland Chinese Manhua artist and illustrator
• Benjamin Lee Whorf (1897-1941), American linguist, known for ciontributing to the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis
• Benjamin Breedlove (1993–2011), American Internet personality

Surname

Benjamin
Family name
Meaning	Son of my right hand

• Andre Benjamin (born 1975), American musician and actor; co-founder of Outkast
• Arthur Benjamin (1893–1960), Australian composer
• Asher Benjamin (1773–1845), American architect
• Collin Benjamin (born 1978), Namibian football (soccer) player
• François Benjamin (born 1962), Canadian politician
• George Benjamin (composer) (born 1960), British composer
• Harry Benjamin (1885–1986), German-born American sexologist
• Jessica Benjamin (born 1946), American feminist and psychoanalyst
• Joel Benjamin (born 1964), American chess grandmaster
• Judah P. Benjamin (1811–1884), American politician
• Lucy Benjamin (born 1970), actress
• Miles Benjamin (born 1988), English rugby union player
• Quanteisha Benjamin (born 1991/1992), Canadian singer
• Regina Benjamin (born 1956), 18th Surgeon General of the United States
• René Benjamin (1885–1948), French author
• Richard Benjamin (born 1938), actor
• Rick Benjamin (band leader) (fl. c. 2000), musician
• Rick Benjamin (born 1952), race driver
• Shelton Benjamin (born 1975), American wrestler
• Stan Benjamin (1914–2009), American professional baseball player
• Thomas Benjamin (composer) (born 1940), American composer of "Chesapeake Suite" (1992)
• Walter Benjamin (1892–1940), literary critic & writer

See also

• All pages beginning with "Benjamin"