Fun Facts About the Name Benji
- More than 2 thousand babies named Benji: U.S. records list 2,347 babies given the name Benji from 1880 through 2025. Even 63 girls received the name Benji - about 1 girl for every 36 boys.
What Does the Name Benji Mean?
Benji is an English familiar form of Benjamin, a name from Hebrew. The Hebrew name is Binyamin, formed from ben ('son') and yamin ('right hand' or 'south'). Its literal sense is therefore 'son of the right hand' or 'son of the south.' The right hand was associated with strength and favor, so the customary English meaning is 'son of the right hand.' Benji is a diminutive formed from Benjamin with the affectionate ending -i (also spelled -ie or -y); the j reflects the j in Benjamin, so it does not have a separate etymology.
Benji Name History & Origins
Benjamin is a biblical name. In the Book of Genesis, Benjamin is the youngest son of Jacob and Rachel. Rachel, dying in childbirth, names him Ben-oni, commonly explained as 'son of my sorrow,' but Jacob renames him Benjamin. The tribe of Benjamin became one of the twelve tribes of Israel. Through Greek Beniamin and Latin Beniamin or Benjamin, the name entered European languages, and it appears in English as Benjamin.
The affectionate ending -i (also spelled -y or -ie) was added to the shortened stem Benj- from Benjamin to form Benji, also spelled Benjie or Benjy. Ben is a separate short form. Benji is therefore a diminutive of Benjamin rather than a separate Hebrew name. In modern English it is used both as a nickname and as a given name on its own. A later association is the dog in the 1974 film Benji, but the name was already a familiar diminutive before that movie.
How Popular is the Name Benji?
Benji recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 1975. Its best rank was #623 in 1975.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | #15,554 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2020 | #13,718 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2019 | #15,904 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1976 | #8,257 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1975 | #6,547 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1974 | #7,779 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1973 | #7,513 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1972 | #8,398 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1971 | #8,436 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1964 | #6,849 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1956 | #5,357 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,341 | 142 | 0.0083% |
| 2024 | #1,627 | 104 | 0.0061% |
| 2023 | #1,606 | 108 | 0.0063% |
| 2022 | #1,414 | 130 | 0.0075% |
| 2021 | #1,869 | 82 | 0.0047% |
| 2020 | #1,579 | 103 | 0.0060% |
| 2019 | #1,940 | 76 | 0.0042% |
| 2018 | #1,993 | 73 | 0.0040% |
| 2017 | #2,093 | 66 | 0.0036% |
| 2016 | #2,558 | 49 | 0.0026% |
| 2015 | #2,359 | 55 | 0.0029% |
| 2014 | #2,713 | 44 | 0.0023% |
| 2013 | #3,590 | 29 | 0.0015% |
| 2012 | #4,881 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 2011 | #4,837 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 2010 | #4,114 | 24 | 0.0013% |
| 2009 | #4,943 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 2008 | #6,105 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 2007 | #5,228 | 17 | 0.0008% |
| 2006 | #5,333 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 2005 | #5,063 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 2004 | #8,218 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2003 | #6,305 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2002 | #5,763 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2001 | #7,603 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2000 | #4,602 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 1999 | #10,071 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1998 | #6,371 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1997 | #8,232 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1996 | #6,559 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1995 | #6,468 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1994 | #5,910 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1993 | #5,393 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1992 | #4,902 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1991 | #5,557 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 1990 | #4,437 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1989 | #7,035 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1988 | #3,725 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1987 | #5,014 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1986 | #5,393 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1985 | #6,621 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1984 | #2,970 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1983 | #2,933 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1982 | #2,987 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1981 | #1,729 | 33 | 0.0018% |
| 1980 | #1,525 | 40 | 0.0022% |
| 1979 | #1,437 | 42 | 0.0024% |
| 1978 | #1,088 | 64 | 0.0039% |
| 1977 | #938 | 82 | 0.0050% |
| 1976 | #850 | 96 | 0.0061% |
| 1975 | #623 | 168 | 0.0108% |
| 1974 | #1,124 | 53 | 0.0034% |
| 1973 | #2,319 | 17 | 0.0011% |
| 1972 | #1,976 | 21 | 0.0013% |
| 1971 | #2,988 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1970 | #2,747 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1969 | #2,138 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1968 | #1,898 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 1967 | #2,791 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1966 | #2,141 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1965 | #1,921 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 1964 | #2,045 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 1963 | #1,903 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 1962 | #1,972 | 17 | 0.0008% |
| 1961 | #2,725 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1960 | #2,133 | 15 | 0.0007% |
| 1959 | #2,118 | 15 | 0.0007% |
| 1958 | #1,730 | 21 | 0.0010% |
| 1957 | #3,596 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1956 | #2,642 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1955 | #3,930 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1952 | #3,123 | 7 | 0.0004% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Benji Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You can go to great heights and equally great depths. You are emotional and fixed in your opinions. You are hospitable, sentimental, often psychic, sometimes moody. You are ruled by love and the lack of it and feel a need to be encouraged and appreciated. You have an eventful, exciting life. You are versatile and have the ability to learn easily.
Dependable, very down-to-earth and well grounded, you are always looking for meaningful work, a career where you can take pride in your work and do the best job you are capable of. Your prime desire is to build protected and secure environment at home and at work. You can be very persuasive in achieving goals and gaining objectives. You can be very detailed and well-organized and possess great organizational skills. At times you may appear too stubborn and overly critical to others, but your practical approach to life and productivity makes you one of the most beneficent members of community.
✦ Benji's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Benji's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.