From the Hebrew name בִּנְיָמִין (Binyamin) which means "son of the south" or "son of the right hand". Benjamin in the Old Testament is the twelfth and youngest son of Jacob and the founder of one of the southern tribes of the Hebrews. He was originally named בֶּן־אוֹנִי (Ben-'oniy) meaning "son of my sorrow" by his mother Rachel, who died shortly after childbirth, but it was later changed by his father.As an English name, Benjamin came into general use after the Protestant Reformation. A famous bearer was Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790), an American statesman, inventor, scientist and philosopher.
Usage: Biblical, Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Norwegian, Swedish
Name day: March 31st: Croatia, France December 20th: Finland December 28th: Sweden
Famous People: Benjamin Franklinwiki (Politician, 1706, United States), Benjamin Harrisonwiki (Politician, 1833, United States), Benjamin Netanyahuwiki (Politician, 1949, Israel), Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfieldwiki (Politician, 1804, United Kingdom), Walter Benjaminwiki (Philosopher, 1892, Germany), Benjamin Brittenwiki (Composer, 1913, United Kingdom), Benjamin Angus Wrightwiki (Composer, 1950, United Kingdom), H. Jon Benjaminwiki (Actor, 1966, United States), Benjamin Thompsonwiki (Physicist, 1753, United States), Benjamin Constantwiki (Philosopher, 1767, Switzerland)