Benjamin was the last of Jacob's twelve sons. His mother Rachel, dying in childbirth, named him Benoni — son of my sorrow — but his father renamed him Benjamin, son of the right hand: a name of honour and strength turned from grief. The right hand in Scripture is the place of favour and power.
The tribe of Benjamin gave Israel its first king, Saul, and later the apostle Paul, who called himself of the tribe of Benjamin. Small in size, the tribe punched far above its weight.
Benjamin has been a top-ten name for years — dignified and friendly at once, with the beloved nicknames Ben and Benji.
Variants & nicknames
Ben, Benji, Benjy, Benyamin
Benjamin in the Bible
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.