Benjamin

See also: benjamin, benjamín, Benjamín, Benjámin, and Benjamîn

English

Etymology

From Late Latin Benjamin, from Ancient Greek Βενιαμίν (Beniamín), from Biblical Hebrew בִּנְיָמִין (binyamīn, literally “son of the right/south or son of days”). Authorities differ on the meaning of the original Hebrew. Philo of Alexandria, the Samaritan Pentateuch The Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs and Midrash Leḳaḥ-Ṭob understand יָמִין to mean "days" (a meaning attested in Daniel 12:13) understanding the name to mean "son of days (i.e. old age)" (compare to the direct translations into Arabic بِنْ يَومِين (bin yawmīn) "son of the days" and Arabic بِنْ يَمِين (bin yamīn) "son of the right hand"), a formula paraphrased in Genesis 40:22 where Benjamin is described as a child of Jacob's old age. Rashi in his commentary on Genesis also gives this as a possible meaning but favors an understanding of יָמִין to mean "right" in the sense of "the south", noting that Benjamin was the only son of Jacob born in the south. Jerome understood the name to mean "son of the right hand" and Gesenius speculated that this expression might have meant "son of good fortune".

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation, Canada) IPA^(key): /ˈbɛnd͡ʒəmɪn/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈbɛnd͡ʒəmɪn/, /ˈbɛnd͡ʒɚmɪn/
• (US, pin–pen merger) IPA^(key): /ˈbɪnd͡ʒəmɪn/, /ˈbɪnd͡ʒɚmɪn/
• (Australia) IPA^(key): /ˈbend͡ʒəmɪn/
• (New Zealand) IPA^(key): /ˈbend͡ʒəmən/
• Hyphenation: Ben‧ja‧min

Proper noun

Benjamin (countable and uncountable, plural Benjamins)

2. (biblical) The youngest of the sons of Jacob and Rachel in the Bible.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Genesis 35:18:
     :

     And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died) that she called his name Benoni: but his father called him Benjamin.

   • 1908, George Bernard Shaw, Getting Married:

     What about the youngest child - the Benjamin - the child of its parents' mature strength and charity, always better treated than the unfortunate eldest children of their youthful ignorance and wilfulness?

3. A male given name from Hebrew of biblical origin.
   • 2007, Mark Schreiber, Starcrossed, Llewellyn Worldwide, →ISBN, page 53:

     "Well, who the hell ever thinks some boy with a name like Benjamin is going to kill someone?" I said. "It's like someone named Winnie the Pooh taking hostages!"

   • 2009 October 1, “Answering Iran’s Nuclear Challenge”, in The New York Times‎^[1], archived from the original on 17 June 2022:

     For it would surely improve the domestic standing of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, an unbudgeable hawk, and thereby indefinitely delay peace on that Middle Eastern front.

4. A small city, the county seat of Knox County, Texas, United States.
5. A patrilineal surname transferred from the given name.

Derived terms

• Benjamin Button
• Benjamin Constant
• Benjamin syndrome
• gum Benjamin
• Harry Benjamin syndrome

Translations

the youngest son of Jacob

• Albanian: Beniamin m, Benjamin m, Bunjamin m, Veniamin m
• Arabic: بِنْيَامِين m (binyāmīn), بَنْيَامِين m (banyāmīn)
• Armenian: Բենիամին (Beniamin)
• Belarusian: Веніямі́н m (Vjenijamín)
• Bulgarian: Вениами́н m (Veniamín)
• Catalan: Benjamí m
• Chechen: Биньямин (Binjamin)
• Cherokee: ᏇᏂ (queni)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 便雅憫 / 便雅悯 (Biànyǎmǐn), 本雅明 (Běnyǎmíng) (Catholic)

• Czech: Benjamín m
• Danish: Benjamin
• Esperanto: Benjameno
• Finnish: Benjamin (fi)
• French: Benjamin (fr) m
• German: Benjamin (de) m
• Greek: Βενιαμίν (el) m (Veniamín)

  Ancient Greek: Βενιαμίν m (Beniamín)

• Gujarati: બિન્યામીન m (binyāmīn)
• Hawaiian: Beniamina
• Hebrew: בִּנְיָמִין (he) m (binyamin)
• Hindi: बिन्यामीन m (binyāmīn)
• Hungarian: Benjámin (hu)
• Irish: Biniáimin
• Italian: Beniamino (it)
• Japanese: ベニヤミン (Beniyamin)
• Kazakh: Бунямин (Buwnyamiyn)
• Latin: Benjamin, Beniamin, Beniāmīnus m
• Malay: Bunyamin (used by Muslims), Benyamin (used by Christians)
• Maltese: Benjamin m
• Norwegian: Benjamin (no)
• Old English: Beniamin
• Persian: بنیامین (fa) (benyâmin)
• Polish: Beniamin (pl) m
• Portuguese: Benjamim (pt) m
• Russian: Вениами́н (ru) m (Veniamín)
• Scottish Gaelic: Beniàmin m
• Sicilian: Binjaminu m, Biniaminu m
• Spanish: Benjamín (es) m
• Swahili: Benyamini
• Swedish: Benjamin (sv)
• Tamil: பென்யமீன் (peṉyamīṉ)
• Tibetan: བེན་ཡ་མིན། (ben ya min)
• Tumbuka: Benjamini
• Turkish: Benyamin
• Ukrainian: Веніями́н m (Venijamýn), Веніамі́н m (Veniamín)

male given name

• Albanian: Beniamín m, Benijamín m, Benjamín m, Veniamín m
• Amharic: ቢንያም (binyam)
• Arabic: بِنْيَامِين m (binyāmīn), بَنْيَامِين m (banyāmīn)
• Armenian: Բենիամին (Beniamin)
• Belarusian: Веніямі́н m (Vjenijamín)
• Bulgarian: Бе́нджамин m (Béndžamin), Вениами́н m (Veniamín)
• Catalan: Benjamí m
• Cherokee: ᏇᏂ (queni)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 本傑明 / 本杰明 (zh) (Běnjiémíng)

• Czech: Benjamín m
• Danish: Benjamin
• Esperanto: Benjameno
• Finnish: Benjamin (fi), Penjami
• French: Benjamin (fr) m
• Galician: Benxamín (gl) m
• German: Benjamin (de) m
• Greek: Βενιαμίν (el) (Veniamín), Βενιαμίνος (el) m (Veniamínos)
• Hawaiian: Peniʻamina
• Hebrew: בִּנְיָמִין (he) m (binyamin)
• Hindi: बेंजामिन (beñjāmin)
• Hungarian: Benjámin (hu)
• Icelandic: Benjamín (is) m
• Italian: Beniamino (it) m
• Japanese: ベンジャミン (Benjamin)
• Korean: 베냐민 (benyamin), 벤자민 (benjamin)
• Latin: Benjamin, Beniamin
• Latvian: Benjamīns m, Bendžamins m
• Lithuanian: Benjaminas (lt) m
• Macedonian: Бенџамин m (Bendžamin), Венјамин m (Venjamin)
• Malay: Bunyamin
• Maltese: Benjaminu m
• Māori: Peneāmine, Penamene
• Norman: Benjamîn m
• Norwegian: Benjamin (no)
• Old English: Beniamin
• Persian: بنجامین (fa) (benjâmin), بنیامین (fa) (benyâmin)
• Polish: Beniamin (pl) m
• Portuguese: Benjamim (pt) m
• Romanian: Benjamin
• Russian: Вениами́н (ru) m (Veniamín), Бе́нджамин (ru) (Béndžamin)
• Sami: Benjáme
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: Бењамин m

  Latin: Benjamin m

• Slovak: Benjamín m
• Spanish: Benjamín (es) m
• Swedish: Benjamin (sv)
• Tamil: பென்யமீன் (peṉyamīṉ)
• Telugu: బెంజమిన్ (beñjamin)
• Turkish: Bünyamin (tr), Benyamin
• Ukrainian: Веніамі́н m (Veniamín)
• Yiddish: בנימין m (binyomen)

See also

• Jamin

Noun

Benjamin (plural Benjamins)

1. (US slang, often in the plural) A $100 bill, which bears a portrait of Benjamin Franklin.

   Synonyms: Ben, Ben Franklin, Benjamin Franklin, Franklin

   • 1994, “One More Chance”, in Ready to Die, performed by The Notorious B.I.G.:

     Fuck the past, let's dwell on the 500SL, the E&J and ginger ale / The way my pockets swell to the rims with Benjamins

   • 1997, “It's All About the Benjamins”, in No Way Out, performed by Puff Daddy ft. Lil' Kim, the Lox, and The Notorious B.I.G.:

     Swimmin' in women wit they own condominiums / Five plus fives, who drive millenniums / It's all about the Benjamins, what?

   • 2006 April 12, Dean Ornish, “Health Care: It's All About the Benjamins”, in Newsweek‎^[2], archived from the original on 28 November 2006:

     Health Care: It's All About the Benjamins [title]

   • 2015, Thomas Hallock, “City Creeks: Lessons in Sustainable Environmental Discourse from a Florida Boom Town”, in Mark Luccarelli, Sigurd Bergmann, editors, Spaces in-between: Cultural and Political Perspectives on Environmental Discourse, Leiden; Boston, Mass.: Brill-Rodopi, →ISBN, part 1 (Lived Spaces and Political Contexts), page 89:

     Sneering through gold grillz, inked to the neck in bad tattoos and representing my area code, Franco leads the spring breakers through a stylized, mtv version of thug life, replete with drugs, guns, Benjamins and booty call.

   • 2019, Vincent Zandri, chapter 2, in The Caretaker’s Wife, Hoboken, N.J.: Polis Books, →ISBN:

     He pursed his lips, went to the cash register, and opened it. He pulled out two Benjamins and a US Grant, which he set down on the glass case before me.

Usage notes

• Often used in the plural form to indicate large sums of money.

Alternative forms

• benjamin

See also

• dead president, Washington, Lincoln, Hamilton, Jackson
• Robert Borden

Related terms

• pet forms: Ben, Benji, Benjy, Benny

Further reading

• Benjamin (disambiguation) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Cebuano

Etymology

From English Benjamin, from Late Latin Benjamin, from Ancient Greek Βενιαμίν (Beniamín), from Biblical Hebrew בִּנְיָמִין (binyamīn, literally “son of the right [hand]”). Also from Spanish Benjamín.

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: Ben‧ja‧min

Proper noun

Benjamin

1. a male given name from English or Spanish
2. (biblical) Benjamin
3. the tribe of Benjamin

Danish

Proper noun

Benjamin

1. Benjamin (Biblical figure)
2. a male given name

Related terms

• Benny

Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch benjamin, from Late Latin Benjamin, from Ancient Greek Βενιαμίν (Beniamín), from Biblical Hebrew בִּנְיָמִין (binyamīn, literally “son of the right/south or son of days”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbɛn.jaːˌmɪn/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: Ben‧ja‧min

Proper noun

Benjamin m

1. Benjamin (Biblical character, mythological son of Jacob)
2. (derived from meaning 1) The youngest child of a family, the youngest person of a group.
3. a male given name

Faroese

Etymology

From Late Latin Benjamin, from Ancient Greek Βενιαμίν (Beniamín), from Biblical Hebrew בִּנְיָמִין (binyamīn, literally “son of the right [hand]”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpɛn.ja.ˌmin/

Proper noun

Benjamin m

1. (biblical) Benjamin
2. a male given name

Usage notes

Patronymics

• Benjamin's son: Benjaminsson
• Benjamin's daughter: Benjaminsdóttir

Declension

	singular
	indefinite
nominative	Benjamin
accusative	Benjamin
dative	Benjamini
genitive	Benjamins

Finnish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbenjɑmin/, [ˈbe̞njɑ̝min]
• Rhymes: -enjɑmin
• Syllabification^(key): Ben‧ja‧min
• Hyphenation^(key): Ben‧ja‧min

Etymology 1

From Late Latin Benjamin, from Ancient Greek Βενιαμίν (Beniamín), from Biblical Hebrew בִּנְיָמִין (binyamīn, literally “son of the right (hand)”).

Proper noun

Benjamin

1. Benjamin (Biblical figure)
   • 1933, Bible, Genesis 35:18:

     Mutta kun hänen henkensä oli lähtemäisillään, sillä hänen oli kuoltava, antoi hän hänelle nimen Benoni, mutta hänen isänsä antoi hänelle nimen Benjamin.

     And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died) that she called his name Benoni: but his father called him Benjamin.

2. a male given name
   • 1923, Frans Hjalmar Nortamo, Helmikoristeinen kirjanmerkki, WSOY (1947), John 20:24-25, page 33:

     Rovasti oli sitä paitsi arvellut olevan parasta, että Penua tästä lähtien ruvettaisiin kutsumaan Kustaaksi, koska nimi Benjamin ja sen lyhennys Penu varmasti antaisi hänen koulutovereilleen aihetta pilan tekoon ja härnäilemiseen.

     Furthermore, the provost had said that it would be best that Penu should be called Kustaa from this onwards, because the name Benjamin and its shorter form Penu would certainly give his schoolmates a cause to bantering and bullying.

Declension

Inflection of Benjamin (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation)
nominative		Benjamin	Benjaminit
genitive		Benjaminin	Benjaminien
partitive		Benjaminia	Benjamineja
illative		Benjaminiin	Benjamineihin
		singular	plural
nominative		Benjamin	Benjaminit
accusative	nom.	Benjamin	Benjaminit
	gen.	Benjaminin
genitive		Benjaminin	Benjaminien
partitive		Benjaminia	Benjamineja
inessive		Benjaminissa	Benjamineissa
elative		Benjaminista	Benjamineista
illative		Benjaminiin	Benjamineihin
adessive		Benjaminilla	Benjamineilla
ablative		Benjaminilta	Benjamineilta
allative		Benjaminille	Benjamineille
essive		Benjaminina	Benjamineina
translative		Benjaminiksi	Benjamineiksi
abessive		Benjaminitta	Benjamineitta
instructive		—	Benjaminein
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of Benjamin (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative Benjaminini Benjaminini accusative nom. Benjaminini Benjaminini gen. Benjaminini genitive Benjaminini Benjaminieni partitive Benjaminiani Benjaminejani inessive Benjaminissani Benjamineissani elative Benjaministani Benjamineistani illative Benjaminiini Benjamineihini adessive Benjaminillani Benjamineillani ablative Benjaminiltani Benjamineiltani allative Benjaminilleni Benjamineilleni essive Benjamininani Benjamineinani translative Benjaminikseni Benjamineikseni abessive Benjaminittani Benjamineittani instructive — — comitative — Benjamineineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative Benjaminisi Benjaminisi accusative nom. Benjaminisi Benjaminisi gen. Benjaminisi genitive Benjaminisi Benjaminiesi partitive Benjaminiasi Benjaminejasi inessive Benjaminissasi Benjamineissasi elative Benjaministasi Benjamineistasi illative Benjaminiisi Benjamineihisi adessive Benjaminillasi Benjamineillasi ablative Benjaminiltasi Benjamineiltasi allative Benjaminillesi Benjamineillesi essive Benjamininasi Benjamineinasi translative Benjaminiksesi Benjamineiksesi abessive Benjaminittasi Benjamineittasi instructive — — comitative — Benjamineinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative Benjaminimme Benjaminimme accusative nom. Benjaminimme Benjaminimme gen. Benjaminimme genitive Benjaminimme Benjaminiemme partitive Benjaminiamme Benjaminejamme inessive Benjaminissamme Benjamineissamme elative Benjaministamme Benjamineistamme illative Benjaminiimme Benjamineihimme adessive Benjaminillamme Benjamineillamme ablative Benjaminiltamme Benjamineiltamme allative Benjaminillemme Benjamineillemme essive Benjamininamme Benjamineinamme translative Benjaminiksemme Benjamineiksemme abessive Benjaminittamme Benjamineittamme instructive — — comitative — Benjamineinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative Benjamininne Benjamininne accusative nom. Benjamininne Benjamininne gen. Benjamininne genitive Benjamininne Benjaminienne partitive Benjaminianne Benjaminejanne inessive Benjaminissanne Benjamineissanne elative Benjaministanne Benjamineistanne illative Benjaminiinne Benjamineihinne adessive Benjaminillanne Benjamineillanne ablative Benjaminiltanne Benjamineiltanne allative Benjaminillenne Benjamineillenne essive Benjamininanne Benjamineinanne translative Benjaminiksenne Benjamineiksenne abessive Benjaminittanne Benjamineittanne instructive — — comitative — Benjamineinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative Benjamininsa Benjamininsa accusative nom. Benjamininsa Benjamininsa gen. Benjamininsa genitive Benjamininsa Benjaminiensa partitive Benjaminiaan Benjaminiansa Benjaminejaan Benjaminejansa inessive Benjaminissaan Benjaminissansa Benjamineissaan Benjamineissansa elative Benjaministaan Benjaministansa Benjamineistaan Benjamineistansa illative Benjaminiinsa Benjamineihinsa adessive Benjaminillaan Benjaminillansa Benjamineillaan Benjamineillansa ablative Benjaminiltaan Benjaminiltansa Benjamineiltaan Benjamineiltansa allative Benjaminilleen Benjaminillensa Benjamineilleen Benjamineillensa essive Benjamininaan Benjamininansa Benjamineinaan Benjamineinansa translative Benjaminikseen Benjaminiksensa Benjamineikseen Benjamineiksensa abessive Benjaminittaan Benjaminittansa Benjamineittaan Benjamineittansa instructive — — comitative — Benjamineineen Benjamineinensa

Related terms

• (given names) Benjam, Benjami, Jami
• (surnames) Pennanen

Statistics

• Benjamin is the 144^th most common male given name in Finland, belonging to 4,426 male individuals (and as a middle name to 8,571 more), and also belongs to 8 female individuals (and as a middle name to 7 more), according to August 2025 data from the Digital and Population Data Services Agency of Finland.

Etymology 2

Proper noun

Benjamin

1. genitive singular of Benjam

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bɛ̃.ʒa.mɛ̃/

• Audio (France (Toulouse)):

  (file)

• Audio (France):

  (file)

Proper noun

Benjamin m

1. (biblical) Benjamin (Biblical figure)
2. a male given name

German

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbɛnjaˌmiːn/, /-ˌmɪn/

• Audio (Austria):

  (file)

• Audio (Germany (Berlin)):

  (file)

• Hyphenation: Ben‧ja‧min

Proper noun

Benjamin m (proper noun, strong, genitive Benjamins)

1. Benjamin (Biblical figure)
2. a male given name

Noun

Benjamin m (strong, genitive Benjamins, plural Benjamine)

1. youngest child

Related terms

• Ben
• Benni

Further reading

• “Benjamin”, in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache‎^[3] (in German)
• “Benjamin” in Duden online

Latin

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈbɛn.ja.mɪn]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈbɛn.ja.min]

Proper noun

Benjamin m (indeclinable)

1. alternative form of Beniamin

Manx

Proper noun

Benjamin m

1. a male given name

Mutation

Mutation of Benjamin

radical	lenition	eclipsis
Benjamin	Venjamin	Menjamin

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Manx.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

Norwegian

Proper noun

Benjamin

1. Benjamin (Biblical figure)
2. a male given name

Swedish

Proper noun

Benjamin c (genitive Benjamins)

1. Benjamin (Biblical figure)
2. a male given name

Related terms

• Benny