Benjamin is a name of Hebrew origin, meaning "son of the right hand" or "favored son". It is derived from the Hebrew word ben, which means "son", and yamin, which means "right hand".
The name Benjamin has a rich history in the Bible. According to the story, Benjamin was the youngest son of Jacob, one of the twelve tribes of Israel. He was named after his mother Rachel's dying wish for him to be called by her name, ben-oni, meaning "son of my sorrow". However, his father changed it to Benjamin instead.
The tribe of Benjamin was known for its strength and valor in battle. In fact, King Saul, the first king of Israel, was a member of this tribe. The tribe was also known for its wisdom, as some of the wisest men in Israel were from this tribe.
Today, Benjamin is still a popular name around the world. It has consistently ranked among the top 500 names for boys in the United States since the early 20th century. Some famous people with this name include Benjamin Franklin, one of the founding fathers of the United States, and Benjamin Netanyahu, the current Prime Minister of Israel.
In literature, the name Benjamin has been used by many authors, most notably by Charles Dickens in his novel "Oliver Twist", where the main character is named Oliver Benjamin. In pop culture, Ben Affleck, born Benjamin Geza Affleck-Bolger, is a well-known actor and filmmaker.
Overall, Benjamin is a strong, historic name with a rich meaning that has stood the test of time. Its biblical origins give it a sense of tradition and wisdom, while its popularity today makes it a modern classic.
Based on the statistics provided for the name Benjiman from 1880 to 2023, there has been significant fluctuation in its popularity over time. The highest number of births recorded was 72 in 1918, while the lowest was 10 in multiple years between 1904 and 1966, with recent years showing a consistent decrease, reaching as low as 10 births in 2023. Overall, there were a total of 4288 births during this period.