# Benjamin (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/benjamin/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. Counts from the US Census Bureau; origin and etymology from Wiktionary; bearers from Wikidata. Data updated 2026-11-11.

A patrilineal surname transferred from the given name.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | Greek |
| Type | patronymic, formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 40,590 |
| US rank (2010) | 850 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 7,606 people |
| Change since 2000 | +11% (36,439 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈbɛnd͡ʒəmɪn/, 3 syllables |
| Variant spellings | none recorded |

## 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.

## Who carries it

Share of people named Benjamin in the 2010 US Census by the Census's own race and ethnicity groups. The Census suppresses a share when the count behind it is small.

| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 49% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 42% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 3.4% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 2.5% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.9% |
| Two or more races | 2.6% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Benjamin in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.

## People named Benjamin

- H. Jon Benjamin, American actor
- Rai Benjamin, American sprinter and hurdler
- Shelton Benjamin, American professional wrestler
- Alec Benjamin, American singer-songwriter
- Richard Benjamin, American actor and film director
- Judah P. Benjamin, American politician and lawyer (1811-1884)
- Medea Benjamin, American political activist and author
- Arthur Benjamin, Australian composer, pianist, conductor and teacher
- Frances Benjamin Johnston, American photographer, photojournalist (1864-1952)
- Joel Benjamin, American chess grandmaster
- Tiana Benjamin, British actress
- George Benjamin, British composer, conductor, pianist and teacher

and 18 more on Wikidata.

## Similar surnames

Benigno, Benzing, Benson, Bingham, Bingaman, Bencomo, Bianchini, Bensen, Bingman.

## How to read these numbers

A Census count is people alive and counted in 2010, not births, and names occurring fewer than 100 times are not published at all. Ethnicity shares are the Census's own categories.