Benjamin is a popular

given name A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a f ...

for males, derived from

Hebrew Hebrew (; ''ʿÎbrit'') is a Northwest Semitic languages, Northwest Semitic language within the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family. A regional dialect of the Canaanite languages, it was natively spoken by the Israelites and ...

, ''Binyāmīn'', translating as 'son of the right

and And or AND may refer to: Logic, grammar and computing * Conjunction, connecting two words, phrases, or clauses * Logical conjunction in mathematical logic, notated as "∧", "⋅", "&", or simple juxtaposition * Bitwise AND, a Boolean oper ...

in both Hebrew and Arabic languages, although in the

Samaritan Pentateuch The Samaritan Pentateuch, also called the Samaritan Torah (Samaritan Hebrew: , ), is the Religious text, sacred scripture of the Samaritans. Written in the Samaritan script, it dates back to one of the ancient versions of the Torah that existe ...

the name appears as ''Binyaamem'': 'son of my days'. Benjamin is often shortened to

Ben Ben is frequently used as a shortened version of the given names Benjamin, Benedict, Bennett, Benson or Ebenezer, and is also a given name in its own right. Ben meaning "son of" is also found in Arabic as ''Ben'' (dialectal Arabic) or ''bin ...

, and sometimes to Benny, Benito, Benjy, Benji, etc. It is also a

patronymic A patronymic, or patronym, is a component of a personal name based on the given name of one's father, grandfather (more specifically an avonymic), or an earlier male ancestor. It is the male equivalent of a matronymic. Patronymics are used, b ...

surname In many societies, a surname, family name, or last name is the mostly hereditary portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family. It is typically combined with a given name to form the full name of a person, although several give ...

. Like many biblical names, it is popular in the Jewish, Christian and Muslim faiths alike, having many variant forms in other languages. The "Benjamin of the family" is a phrase used in several languages to refer to the youngest son – especially when he is much younger than his brothers (see also the "

youngest son The youngest son is a stock character in fairy tales, where he features as the hero. He is usually the third son, but sometimes there are more brothers, and sometimes he has only one; usually, they have no sisters. In a family of many daughters, ...

" stock character in fiction). Sometimes the name is chosen for a son born to mature parents unlikely to have more children, especially if he has several older siblings. Both of these usages derive from the biblical son of Jacob of that name, who occupied that position in his family. Alternate versions of the name exist for females, like Benjamina.

Variants

Arabic Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...

: بنيامين (Benyámén) *

Assyrian Neo-Aramaic Suret ( Help:IPA for Aramaic, �suːrɪtʰor Help:IPA for Aramaic, �suːrɪθ, also known as Assyrian, refers to the varieties of Northeastern Neo-Aramaic (NENA) spoken by Christians, namely Assyrian people, Assyrians.Nordhoff, Sebast ...

: ܒܸܢܝܵܡܹܝܢ (Binyāmēn) *

Bengali Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to: *something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia * Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region * Bengali language, the language they speak ** Bengali alphabet, the w ...

: বিনয়ামিন, বিন ইয়ামিন, বনিয়ামিন, বেঞ্জামিন/বেনজামিন (Binyamin, , Boniamin , Benjamin/Benzamin) * Bosnian: Benjamin * Chinese: 本杰明 (Běnjiémíng) / 本雅明 * Croatian: Benjamin *

Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus *Czech (surnam ...

: Benjamín * Dutch: Benjamin * English: Benjamin *

Ethiopia Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country located in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, Somalia to the east, Ken ...

: Biniyam *

Eritrea Eritrea, officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa, with its capital and largest city being Asmara. It is bordered by Ethiopia in the Eritrea–Ethiopia border, south, Sudan in the west, and Dj ...

: Biniyam * French: Benjamin *

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

: Benjamin *

Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...

: Βενιαμίν (Veniamín) * Hawaiian: Peni *

: בנימין () *

Hindi Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...

: बेंजामिन () * Hungarian: Benjámin * Icelandic: Benjamín * Indonesian: Benyamin, Benjamin *

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

: Beniamino *

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

: Benjamin *

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

: ベンジャミン (Benjamin) *

Korean Korean may refer to: People and culture * Koreans, people from the Korean peninsula or of Korean descent * Korean culture * Korean language **Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Korean **Korean dialects **See also: North–South differences in t ...

: 벤자민 (Benjamin) * Lithuanian: Benjaminas, Benas *

Macedonian Macedonian most often refers to someone or something from or related to Macedonia. Macedonian(s) may refer to: People Modern * Macedonians (ethnic group), a nation and a South Slavic ethnic group primarily associated with North Macedonia * Mac ...

: Бенџамин, Венјамин (Bendžamin, Venyamin) * Norwegian: Benjamin * Polish: Beniamin * Portuguese: Benjamim *

Romanian Romanian may refer to: *anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania **Romanians, an ethnic group **Romanian language, a Romance language ***Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language **Romanian cuisine, traditional ...

: Beniamin, Benjamin *

Russian Russian(s) may refer to: *Russians (), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *A citizen of Russia *Russian language, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages *''The Russians'', a b ...

: Вениамин ( Veniamin, Venyamin), Веня (Venya) *

Serbian Serbian may refer to: * Pertaining to Serbia in Southeast Europe; in particular **Serbs, a South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans ** Serbian language ** Serbian culture **Demographics of Serbia, includes other ethnic groups within the co ...

: Бењамин (Benjamin) * Slovak: Benjamín * Slovenian: Benjamin, Beno *

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

: Benjamín * Swedish: Benjamin *

Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of South India ** Telugu literature, is the body of works written in the Telugu language. * Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Tel ...

: బెన్యామీను (Benyaminu) * Turkish: Bünyamin, Benyamin *

Yiddish Yiddish, historically Judeo-German, is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated in 9th-century Central Europe, and provided the nascent Ashkenazi community with a vernacular based on High German fused with ...

: Binyomin

Given name

Notable people with the name Benjamin or its variant spellings include: * Benjamin II (1818–1864), the pen name of a Romanian traveller * Pope Benjamin II of Alexandria (1327–1339), Coptic Pope *

Benjamin (Khazar) A Khazar ruler (probably the bek), mentioned in the Schechter Text and the Khazar Correspondence, Benjamin was the son of the Khazar ruler Menahem and probably reigned in the late ninth and early tenth centuries CE. The only extant account of ...

, ruler of the late 9th and early 10th centuries * Saint Benjamin (disambiguation), multiple people *

Benjamin Adler Benjamin Adler (10 November 1903 – 16 April 1990) was an American electrical engineer and inventor who helped develop the first commercial television set A television set or television receiver (more commonly called TV, TV set, televisi ...

(1903–1990), American electrical engineer and inventor *

Ben Affleck Benjamin Géza Affleck (born August 15, 1972) is an American actor and filmmaker. His accolades include two Academy Awards, two BAFTA Awards, and three Golden Globes. Affleck began his career as a child when he starred in the PBS educatio ...

(born 1972), American film screenwriter, director and actor *

Benjamin Agosto Benjamin Alexandro Agosto (born January 15, 1982) is an American ice dancer. With partner Tanith Belbin, Agosto is the 2006 Olympic silver medalist, a four-time World medalist, the 2004–2006 Four Continents champion, and 2004–2008 U.S. ...

(born 1982), American figure skater * Benjamin Alarie (born 1977), Canadian

legal scholar Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior, with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been variously described as a science and as the a ...

, law professor, and entrepreneur *

Benjamin Banneker Benjamin Banneker (November 9, 1731October 19, 1806) was an American Natural history, naturalist, mathematician, astronomer and almanac author. A Land tenure, landowner, he also worked as a surveying, surveyor and farmer. Born in Baltimore Co ...

(1731–1806), American author and surveyor *

Ben Barnes (actor) Benjamin Thomas Barnes (born 20 August 1981) is an English actor and singer. He is best known for his roles as Prince Caspian in ''The Chronicles of Narnia'' film series (2008–2010), Logan Delos in ''Westworld'' (2016–2020), Billy Russo/ ...

(born 1981), British actor *

Benjamin Biolay Benjamin Biolay (; born 20 January 1973) is a French singer, musician, songwriter, record producer and actor. He is the brother of singer Coralie Clément—whose first three albums he wrote and produced—and the ex-husband of Chiara Mastroia ...

(born 1973), French singer, songwriter, producer and actor * Benjamin Bowden (1906–1998), British industrial designer * Benjamin F. Bowles (1869–1928), African American civil rights leader, and founder and president of Douglass University. * Benjamin Brahmer, American football player * Benjamin Breedlove (1993–2011), American YouTube and internet personality *

Benjamin Britten Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten of Aldeburgh (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976) was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He was a central figure of 20th-century British music, with a range of works including opera, o ...

(1913–1976), British composer * Benjamin Burnley (born 1978), lead singer of American rock band Breaking Benjamin *

Benjamin Butler Benjamin Franklin Butler (November 5, 1818 – January 11, 1893) was an American major general (United States), major general of the Union Army, politician, lawyer, and businessman from Massachusetts. Born in New Hampshire and raised in Lowell, ...

(1818–1893), American lawyer, politician, soldier and businessman *

Benjamin Cardozo Benjamin Nathan Cardozo (May 24, 1870 – July 9, 1938) was an American lawyer and jurist who served on the New York Court of Appeals from 1914 to 1932 and as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1932 until his deat ...

(1870–1938), U.S. Supreme Court Justice * Benjamin Carrigan (born 1998), Australian association football player * Benjamin F. Cheatham (1820–1886), Confederate general and California gold miner *

Benjamin Chee Chee Kenneth Thomas Benjamin Chee Chee (26 March 1944 – 14 March 1977), known as Benjamin Chee Chee, was an Ojibwa Canadian artist born in Temagami, Ontario. He is best known for his modern, simplified, and graceful depictions of birds and animals ...

(1944–1977), Canadian artist *

Benjamin Constant Henri-Benjamin Constant de Rebecque (25 October 1767 – 8 December 1830), or simply Benjamin Constant, was a Swiss and French political thinker, activist and writer on political theory and religion. A committed republican from 1795, Constant ...

(1767–1830), Swiss-born French politician *

Benjamin Constant (Brazil) Benjamin Constant Botelho de Magalhães (18 October 1836 – 22 January 1891) was a Brazilian military officer and political thinker. Primarily a positivist, influenced heavily by Auguste Comte, he was the founder of the positivist movement in ...

(1836–1891), Brazilian general and politician * Benjamin Cutting (born 1987), Australian cricketer * Benjamin Dahlström (born 2003), Finnish footballer * Benjamin Daviet (born 1989), French male cross-country skier and biathlete *

Benjamin Diskin Benjamin Diskin (born August 25, 1982) is an American actor. Early life Diskin was born on August 25, 1982 in Los Angeles County, California to a Jewish family. Career In 1991, Diskin won the "Outstanding Young Ensemble Cast in a Motion Pictur ...

(born 1982), American voice actor *

Benjamin Disraeli Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield (21 December 1804 – 19 April 1881) was a British statesman, Conservative Party (UK), Conservative politician and writer who twice served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He played a ...

(1804–1881), Prime Minister of the United Kingdom * Benjamin Faunce (1873–1949), American druggist and businessman * Benjamin W. Fortson IV, American linguist *

Benjamin Franklin Benjamin Franklin (April 17, 1790) was an American polymath: a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher and Political philosophy, political philosopher.#britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Wood, 2021 Among the m ...

(1706–1790), one of the Founding Fathers of the United States * Benjamin Frick (1796–1871), American politician from Pennsylvania *

Benjamin Graham Benjamin Graham (; Given name, né Grossbaum; May 9, 1894 – September 21, 1976) was a British-born American financial analyst, economist, accountant, investor and professor. He is widely known as the "father of value investing", and wrote two ...

(1894–1976), British-born American investor, economist, and professor * Benjamin W. Gung (born 1953), Chinese American organic chemist and academic * Benjamin Hall (disambiguation), multiple people * Benjamin Hance (born 2000), Australian Paralympic swimmer * Benjamin Harrison (disambiguation), multiple people, but most notably: **

Benjamin Harrison Benjamin Harrison (August 20, 1833March 13, 1901) was the 23rd president of the United States, serving from 1889 to 1893. He was a member of the Harrison family of Virginia—a grandson of the ninth president, William Henry Harrison, and a ...

(1833–1901), 23rd president of the United States **

Benjamin Harrison V Benjamin Harrison V (April 5, 1726April 24, 1791) was an American planter, merchant, and politician who served as a legislator in colonial Virginia, following his namesakes' tradition of public service. He was a signer of the Continental Asso ...

(1726–1791), a Founding Father of the United States, signer of the Declaration of Independence, and Governor of Virginia * Benjamin Hick (1790–1842) English engineer and inventor *

Ben Hogan William Ben Hogan (August 13, 1912 – July 25, 1997) was an American professional golfer who is generally considered to be one of the greatest players in the history of the game. He is notable for his profound influence on golf swing theory, hi ...

(1912–1997), American professional golfer *

Ben Jonson Benjamin Jonson ( 11 June 1572 – ) was an English playwright, poet and actor. Jonson's artistry exerted a lasting influence on English poetry and stage comedy. He popularised the comedy of humours; he is best known for the satire, satirical ...

(1572–1637), English playwright and poet, in his time second only to Shakespeare * Benjamin Kallos (born 1981), American lawyer and politician * Benjamin Kapp (born 2002), German curler * Benjamin Kimutai (born 1971), Kenyan long-distance runner * Benjamin Kowalewicz (born 1975), lead singer of Canadian rock band Billy Talent * Benjamin H. Kline (1894–1974), American cinematographer and film director *

Benjamin Källman Paul Benjamin Källman (; born 17 June 1998) is a Finnish professional association football, footballer who plays as a forward (association football), forward for club Hannover 96 and the Finland national football team, Finland national team. C ...

(born 1998), Finnish footballer *

Benjamin Lambert Benjamin Joseph Lambert, III (January 29, 1937 – March 2, 2014) was an American optometrist, community leader and politician. A Democrat, Lambert served for more than three decades in both houses of the Virginia General Assembly (the first o ...

(1937–2014), American optometrist and politician *

Benjamin Lay Benjamin Lay (January 26, 1682 – February 8, 1759) was an English-born writer, farmer and activist. Born in Copford, Essex into a Quakers, Quaker family, he underwent an apprenticeship as a glovemaker before running away to London and finding ...

(1682–1759), Anglo-American abolitionist, activist, and humanitarian * Benjamin Leiner (Benny Leonard; the "Ghetto Wizard"; 1896–1947), American world champion lightweight Hall of Fame boxer *

Benjamin Luxon Benjamin Matthew Luxon (24 March 1937 – 26 July 2024) was a British baritone. Biography Luxon was born in Redruth, Cornwall on 24 March 1937, the son of Ernest Maxwell Luxon, an amateur singer, and his wife Lucille Pearl, née Grigg. He stud ...

(born 1937), British baritone singer *

Benjamin Mazar Benjamin Mazar (; born Binyamin Zeev Maisler, June 28, 1906 – September 9, 1995) was a pioneering Israeli historian, recognized as the "dean" of biblical archaeologists. He shared the national passion for the archaeology of Israel that also at ...

(1906–1995), Israeli historian and archeologist; president of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem *

Benjamin McKenzie Benjamin McKenzie Schenkkan (born September 12, 1978) is an American actor, author and commentator. He is best known for his starring television roles as Ryan Atwood on the teen drama '' The O.C.'' (2003–2007), Ben Sherman on the crime drama '' ...

(born 1978), American actor *

Benjamin Millepied Benjamin Millepied (; born 10 June 1977) is a French dancer and choreographer, who has lived and worked in the United States since joining the New York City Ballet in 1995, where he became a soloist in 1998 and a principal in 2002. He has als ...

(born 1977), French dancer and choreographer * Benjamin K. Miller (judge) (born 1936), American judge * Benjamin Mielke (born 1981), German bobsledder *

Benjamin Mkapa Benjamin William Mkapa (12 November 193823 July 2020) was the third president of Tanzania, in office from 1995 to 2005. He was Chairman of the Revolutionary State Political Party (Chama Cha Mapinduzi, CCM). Early life Mkapa was born in Lupaso, ...

(1938–2020), 3rd president of Tanzania * Benjamin Mwangata (born 1966), Tanzanian boxer *

Benjamin Netanyahu Benjamin Netanyahu (born 21 October 1949) is an Israeli politician who has served as the prime minister of Israel since 2022, having previously held the office from 1996 to 1999 and from 2009 to 2021. Netanyahu is the longest-serving prime min ...

(born 1949), Israeli prime minister * Benjamin Nolot, American documentary filmmaker * Benjamin Noriega-Ortiz (born 1956), Puerto Rican-born interior designer *

Benjamin of Tudela Benjamin of Tudela (), also known as Benjamin ben Jonah, was a medieval Jewish traveler who visited Europe, Asia, and Africa in the twelfth century. His vivid descriptions of western Asia preceded those of Marco Polo by a hundred years. With his ...

, 12th-century Spanish rabbi * Benjamin Okolski, American figure skater *

Benjamin Orr Benjamin Orr (, September 8, 1947 – October 3, 2000) was an American musician. He was best known as the bassist, co-lead vocalist, and co-founder of the band the Cars. He sang lead vocals on several of their hits, including "Just What I Nee ...

(1947–2000), American bass guitarist and singer-songwriter of The Cars * Benjamin Pavard (born 1996), French professional footballer * Benjamin Peltonen, Finnish recording artist, known mononymously as Benjamin * Benjamin Franklin Perera, Sri Lankan Sinhala diplomat * Benjamin Perrin, Canadian professor * Benjamin Pritchard (rower), British para-rower * Benjamin Raschke (born 1982), German politician * Benjamin Reemst (born 2000), Dutch footballer *

Benjamin Wood Richards Benjamin Wood Richards (November 12, 1797 – July 12, 1851) was an American politician who served as the 59th mayor of Philadelphia in 1829 and a second time from 1830 to 1832. Early life and education Richards was born in Batsto, New Je ...

(1797–1851), 59th mayor of Philadelphia *

Benjamin Rush Benjamin Rush (April 19, 1813) was an American revolutionary, a Founding Father of the United States and signatory to the U.S. Declaration of Independence, and a civic leader in Philadelphia, where he was a physician, politician, social refor ...

(1746–1813), American politician, revolutionary, humanitarian, physician, educator, and founder of Dickinson College * Don Benjamin Rupasinghe Gunawardena (1904–1971), Sri Lankan politician * Benjamin Shapiro (born 1984), American conservative political commentator * Benjamin Frank Shelton (1902–1963) American singer * Benjamin Šeško (born 2003), Slovenian professional footballer * Ben Simm (disambiguation), multiple people, Benjamin, including Sim, Sims, Simms * Benjamin Smoke (1960–1999), American musician *

Benjamin Spock Benjamin McLane Spock (May 2, 1903–March 15, 1998), widely known as Dr. Spock, was an American pediatrician, Olympian athlete and left-wing political activist. His book '' Baby and Child Care'' (1946) is one of the best-selling books of ...

(1903-1998), American pediatrician, political activist, and writer * Benjamin St-Juste (born 1997), Canadian-American football player * Benyamin Sueb (1939–1995), Indonesian actor *

Ben Stiller Benjamin Edward Meara Stiller (born November 30, 1965) is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. Known for his blend of slapstick humor and sharp wit, Stiller rose to fame through comedies such as ''There's Something About Mary'' (1998), ' ...

(born 1965), American actor * Benjamin Tatar (born 1994), Bosnia and Herzegovina footballer * Benjamin Tee, Singaporean scientist and inventor * Benjamin Timbrell (1754), English master builder and architect * Benjamin (Benji) Ungar (born 1986), American fencer * Benjamin Verbič (born 1993), Slovenian professional footballer * Benjamin de Vries (born 1923), Dutch-Israeli economic historian *

Benjamin Wade Benjamin Franklin "Bluff" Wade (October 27, 1800March 2, 1878) was an American lawyer and politician who served as a United States Senator for Ohio from 1851 to 1869. He is known for his leading role among the Radical Republicans.

(1800–1878), American lawyer and US senator * Benjamin Wallace (circus owner) (1847–1921), American circus owner * Benjamin Wallace (writer), American author and magazine writer * Benjamin Washburne (born 2001), American pararower *

Benjamin Lee Whorf Benjamin Atwood Lee Whorf (; April 24, 1897 – July 26, 1941) was an American linguist and fire prevention engineer best known for proposing the Sapir–Whorf hypothesis. He believed that the structures of different languages shape how the ...

(1897–1941), American linguist, known for contributing to the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis * Benjamin Wildman-Tobriner (born 1984), American 2008 Gold Medal Olympic swimmer and former world record holder * Benjamin Willoughby (1855–1940), Justice of the Indiana Supreme Court *

Benjamin Yuen Yuen Wai-ho (Simplified Chinese: 袁伟豪; Traditional Chinese: 袁偉豪, born May 11, 1981), better known as Benjamin Yuen is a Hong Kong actor and singer contracted to TVB and Shaw Brothers Pictures. Yuen’s career started when he became ...

(born 1981), Hong Kong actor and singer * Benjamin Yusupov (born 1962), Israeli classical composer, conductor and pianist *

Benjamin Zablocki Benjamin David Zablocki (January 19, 1941 – April 6, 2020) was an American professor of sociology at Rutgers University where he taught sociology of religion and social psychology. He published widely on the subject of charismatic religious mo ...

(1941–2020), American sociologist * Benjamin Zendel, Canadian psychologist *

Benjamin Zephaniah Benjamin Obadiah Iqbal Zephaniah (15 April 1958 – 7 December 2023) was a British writer, dub poet, actor, musician and professor of poetry and creative writing. Over his lifetime, he was awarded 20 honorary doctorates in recognition of his c ...

(born 1958), British poet and writer * Benjamin Zhang Bin (born 1974), Chinese Manhua artist and illustrator

Fictional characters

Benjamin Benjamin ( ''Bīnyāmīn''; "Son of (the) right") blue letter bible: https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h3225/kjv/wlc/0-1/ H3225 - yāmîn - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (kjv) was the younger of the two sons of Jacob and Rachel, and Jacob's twe ...

, a donkey from

George Orwell Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950) was an English novelist, poet, essayist, journalist, and critic who wrote under the pen name of George Orwell. His work is characterised by lucid prose, social criticism, opposition to a ...

's novel ''

Animal Farm ''Animal Farm'' (originally ''Animal Farm: A Fairy Story'') is a satirical allegorical novella, in the form of a beast fable, by George Orwell, first published in England on 17 August 1945. It tells the story of a group of anthropomorphic far ...

'' * Benjamin, in ''The Walking Dead'' television series * Benjamin the Elephant (original German name Benjamin Blümchen), the main character of the same named

television series A television show, TV program (), or simply a TV show, is the general reference to any content produced for viewing on a television set that is broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, and cable, or distributed digitally on streaming plat ...

* Benjamin Bunny, Peter Rabbit's cousin in ''

The Tale of Benjamin Bunny ''The Tale of Benjamin Bunny'' is a children's book written and illustrated by Beatrix Potter, and first published by Frederick Warne & Co. in September 1904. The book is a sequel to ''The Tale of Peter Rabbit'' (1902), and tells of Peter's retur ...

'' by Beatrix Potter * Benjamin Button, the title character of both

short story A short story is a piece of prose fiction. It can typically be read in a single sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the old ...

and

film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...

* Benjamin C. L., known as Soldier Boy, from the third season of

Amazon Prime Video Amazon Prime Video, known simply as Prime Video, is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming television service owned by Amazon. The service primarily distributes films and television series produced or co-produced by ...

's ''The Boys'' * Benjamin Franklin Parker, known as Uncle Ben, from

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...

Spider-Man Spider-Man is a superhero in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appearance, first appeared in the anthology comic book ''Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in ...

* Principal Benjamin Krupp, the school principal and title character from ''

Captain Underpants ''Captain Underpants'' is an American illustrated children's novel series and multimedia franchise by American author and illustrator Dav Pilkey. The series revolves around two fourth graders, George Beard and Harold Hutchins, living in Pi ...

'' * Capt. Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce, the main character from the M*A*S*H

novels A novel is an extended work of narrative fiction usually written in prose and published as a book. The word derives from the for 'new', 'news', or 'short story (of something new)', itself from the , a singular noun use of the neuter plural of '' ...

, the

and the

* Benjamin Jacob "Ben" Grimm, also known as the Thing, from Marvel Comics * Benjamin Richards/Ben Richards, main character in the 1987 movie ''The Running Man'' *

Benjamin Sisko Benjamin Lafayette Sisko is a fictional character in the ''Star Trek'' franchise portrayed by Avery Brooks. He was the main character of the television series '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' (''DS9''), which was originally broadcast between 199 ...

, Commanding Officer of Deep Space Nine in the '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' television series * Benjamin Stilton, Geronimo Stilton's nephew and a main character in the

Geronimo Stilton ''Geronimo Stilton'' is an Italian children's book series created by Elisabetta Dami and written under the pen name of the title character. Scholastic Corporation began publishing the English version of the series in the US in February 2004. In ...

book series * Benjamin Kirby Tennyson (better known as Ben or Ben 10) from

Cartoon Network Cartoon Network (CN) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the Cartoon Network, Inc., a sub-division of the Warner Bros. Discovery Networks division of Warner Bros. Discovery. It launched on ...

's ''

Ben 10 ''Ben 10'' is an American media franchise conceived by Man of Action and owned by The Cartoon Network, Inc. The franchise, mainly consisting of animated series produced by Cartoon Network Studios, revolves around a young boy named Ben Tennys ...

'' franchise *

Gentle Ben Gentle Ben is a bear character created by author Walt Morey and first introduced in a 1965 children's novel, ''Gentle Ben''. The original novel told the story of the friendship between a large male bear named Ben and a boy named Mark. The story ...

, bear character created by Walt Morey, in the children's book and 1967 television series of the same name and the 1967 film ''

Gentle Giant Gentle Giant were a British progressive rock band active between 1970 and 1980. They were known for the complexity and sophistication of their music and for the varied musical skills of the members. All of the band members were multi-instrument ...

'' * Benjamin "Ben" Gross, a character on Netflix's ''

Never Have I Ever "Never have I ever", also known as "I've never.." or "ten fingers", is a drinking game in which players take turns asking other players about things they have not done. Other players who have done this thing respond by taking a drink. A versi ...

'' portrayed by Jaren Lewison * Benjamin "Benjy" Compson, narrator of first section and mentally handicapped son of Jason from the

William Faulkner William Cuthbert Faulkner (; September 25, 1897 – July 6, 1962) was an American writer. He is best known for William Faulkner bibliography, his novels and short stories set in the fictional Yoknapatawpha County, Mississippi, a stand-in fo ...

novel "

The Sound and the Fury ''The Sound and the Fury'' is a novel by the American author William Faulkner. It employs several narrative styles, including stream of consciousness. Published in 1929, ''The Sound and the Fury'' was Faulkner's fourth novel, and was not immedi ...

". * Ben Solo, son of

Han Solo Han Solo () is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. He was introduced in the 1977 film ''Star Wars (film), Star Wars'', and later appeared in ''The Empire Strikes Back'' (1980), ''Return of the Jedi'' (1983), ''Star Wars: The F ...

and

Leia Organa Princess Leia Organa ( or ) is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. Introduced in the original ''Star Wars'' film in 1977, Leia is a princess of the planet Alderaan, a member of the Imperial Senate, and an agent of the Rebel ...

, main character in the sequel trilogy of '' Star Wars Saga'' portrayed by

Adam Driver Adam Douglas Driver (born November 19, 1983) is an American actor, recognized for his collaborations with auteur filmmakers. Driver made his film debut in ''J. Edgar'' (2011) and played supporting roles in ''Lincoln (film), Lincoln'' (2012), '' ...

* Benjamin Selvester, main character of the novel ''Hammy House'' by Kaye Umansky. *

Ben Linus Benjamin Linus is a fictional character portrayed by Michael Emerson on the ABC television series '' Lost''. Ben was the leader of a group of Island natives called the Others and was initially known as Henry Gale to the survivors of Oceanic Flig ...

, a recurring antagonist in ''Lost''

Surname

* Abraham Cornelius Benjamin (1897–1968), American philosopher * Adam Benjamin Jr. (1935–1982), American politician * Adam Benjamin (musician), American musician * Albert Benjamin (1909–2006), Scottish bridge player *

Alec Benjamin Alec Shane Benjamin (born May 28, 1994) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. Born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, his 2018 breakthrough " Let Me Down Slowly" from his album '' Narrated for You'' reached the top 40 in over 25 countries ...

(born 1994), American singer-songwriter *André Benjamin, the birth name of

André 3000 André Lauren Benjamin (born May 27, 1975), known professionally as André 3000, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he was one half of the hip-hop duo Outkast along with rapper Big Boi, which the two formed in 1992. Benj ...

(born 1975), American musician and actor, co-founder of

Outkast Outkast (sometimes written as OutKast) was an American hip-hop duo formed in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1992, consisting of Big Boi (Antwan Patton) and André 3000 (André Benjamin, formerly known as Dré). Widely regarded as one of the greatest an ...

* Anna Smeed Benjamin (1834–1924), American social reformer *

Arthur Benjamin Arthur Leslie Benjamin (18 September 1893 in Sydney – 10 April 1960 in London) was an Australian composer, pianist, conductor and teacher. He is best known as the composer of ''Jamaican Rumba'' (1938) and of the '' Storm Clouds Cantata'', fea ...

(1893–1960), Australian composer * Asher Benjamin (1773–1845), American architect * Benoit Benjamin (born 1964), American basketball player * Clinton Benjamin (died 2005), Nauruan politician * Collin Benjamin (born 1978), Namibian footballer * Emmanuel Benjamin (born 1955), Indian cricketer * Eno Benjamin (born 1999), American football player * Eugene S. Benjamin (1862–1941), American businessman and philanthropist * François Benjamin (born 1962), Canadian politician *

Floella Benjamin Floella Karen Yunies Benjamin, Baroness Benjamin (born 23 September 1949), is a Trinidadian-British actress, singer, presenter, author and politician. She is known as presenter of children's programmes such as ''Play School (British TV series), ...

(born 1949), British actress and businesswoman *

George Benjamin (composer) Sir George William John Benjamin, CBE (born 31 January 1960) is an English composer, conductor, pianist and teacher. Biography Benjamin was born in London and attended Westminster School. He studied piano privately with Marguerite Tury from ...

(born 1960), British composer * Georges C. Benjamin (born 1952), American public health official * H. Jon Benjamin (born 1966), American comedian and actor *

Harry Benjamin Harry Benjamin (January 12, 1885 – August 24, 1986) was a German-American endocrinologist and sexologist, widely known for his clinical work with transgender people. Early life and career Benjamin was born in Berlin, and raised in a German ...

(1885–1986), German-born American sexologist * Hilde Benjamin (1902–1989), East German judge and politician * J. J. Benjamin (1818–1864), Romanian-Jewish historian and traveler * Jessica Benjamin (born 1946), American feminist and psychoanalyst *

Joel Benjamin Joel Lawrence Benjamin (born March 11, 1964) is an American chess player who holds the FIDE title of Grandmaster (GM). In 1998, he was voted "Grandmaster of the Year" by the U.S. Chess Federation. Life and career Benjamin is a native of Bro ...

(born 1964), American chess grandmaster * John Benjamin (disambiguation), several people * Jon Benjamin (disambiguation), several people * Judah P. Benjamin (1811–1884), American politician and treasurer of CSA * Kelvin Benjamin (born 1991), American football wide receiver * Leanne Benjamin (born 1964), Australian ballet dancer * Lewis Saul Benjamin (1874–1932), birth name of English author Lewis Melville *

Lucy Benjamin Lucy Benjamin (born Lucy Jane Baker; 25 June 1970) is an English actress. After appearing in various television series including '' Close to Home'' (1989–1990), '' Press Gang'' (1989–1993) and '' Jupiter Moon'' (1990, 1996), she was cast i ...

(born 1970), British actress * Maurice Benjamin, British Empire aerial gunner * Melanie Benjamin (author) (born 1962), pen name of American writer Melanie Hauser *

Melanie Benjamin (Ojibwe leader) Melanie Benjamin is chief executive of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, a sovereign, federally-recognized American Indian tribal government in the Mille Lacs Indian Reservation Mille Lacs Indian Reservation is the popular name for the land-base fo ...

, chief executive of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe * Miles Benjamin (born 1988), English rugby union player * Quanteisha Benjamin (born 1991/92), Canadian singer * Rai Benjamin (born 1997), American track athlete *

Raphael Benjamin Raphael Benjamin (June 19, 1846 – November 15, 1906) was an English-born rabbi who ministered in Australia and America. Life Benjamin was born on June 19, 1846, in London, England, the son of Elias Benjamin and Mary Lazarus. Benjamin attende ...

(1846–1906), British-born Australian and American rabbi * Regina Benjamin (born 1956), 18th Surgeon General of the United States *

René Benjamin René Benjamin (; 1885 in Paris, France - 1948 in Tours, France) was a French writer. In 1915 he received the Prix Goncourt for his novel ''Gaspard''. In 1938, he became the first Goncourt laureate to be appointed a member of the Académie Gonco ...

(1885–1948), French author * Rich Benjamin, American journalist and writer *

Richard Benjamin Richard Samuel Benjamin (born May 22, 1938) is an American actor and film director. He has starred in a number of well-known films, including '' Goodbye, Columbus'' (1969), '' Catch-22'' (1970), '' Portnoy's Complaint'' (1972), '' Westworld'', ...

(born 1938), American actor and film director * Rick Benjamin (disambiguation), several people * Ryan Benjamin (disambiguation), several people *

Shelton Benjamin Shelton James Benjamin (born July 9, 1975) is an American professional wrestler and former amateur wrestler. , he is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of The Hurt Syndicate and is one-half of the AEW World Tag Team Champ ...

(born 1975), American wrestler * Simeon Benjamin (1792–1868), American businessman, philanthropist, and benefactor of Elmira College * Stan Benjamin (1914–2009), American baseball player *

Trevor Benjamin Trevor Junior Benjamin (born 8 February 1979) is a former professional footballer and manager who played as a forward. He is famed for being a prime example of a journeyman footballer, having represented 29 teams in his career, and making over ...

(born 1979), English-born Jamaican footballer *

Walter Benjamin Walter Bendix Schönflies Benjamin ( ; ; 15 July 1892 – 26 September 1940) was a German-Jewish philosopher, cultural critic, media theorist, and essayist. An eclectic thinker who combined elements of German idealism, Jewish mysticism, Western M ...

(1892–1940), German philosopher, literary critic and writer * Zoe Benjamin (1882–1962), born Sophia Benjamin, Australian early childhood educator

Fictional characters

*Judy Benjamin, main character in the 1980 film '' Private Benjamin'' *Kikki Benjamin/Mew Kikki, English dub name of Bu-Ling Huang/Mew Pudding in the 2001 manga ''

Tokyo Mew Mew is a Japanese manga series created and written by Reiko Yoshida and illustrated by Mia Ikumi. It was originally serialized in Kodansha's ''shōjo'' manga magazine ''Nakayoshi'' from September 2000 to February 2003, with its chapters ...

References

{{given name, type=both Bosnian masculine given names English masculine given names French masculine given names Hebrew-language names Masculine given names Modern names of Hebrew origin Spanish masculine given names Lists of people by given name