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Benjamin Family History

Benjamin Surname Meaning

Jewish (Sephardic and Ashkenazic) English French West Indian (mainly Haiti) and African (mainly Nigeria and Tanzania); Hungarian (Benjámin): from the Hebrew male personal name Binyāmīn ‘Son of the South’. In the Book of Genesis, it is treated as meaning ‘Son of the Right Hand’. The two senses are connected since in Hebrew the south is thought of as the right-hand side of a person who is facing east.

Benjamin was the youngest and favorite son of Jacob and supposed progenitor of one of the twelve tribes of Israel (Genesis 316-18; 44). The personal name was not common among Gentiles in the Middle Ages, but its use was sanctioned by virtue of having been borne by a Christian saint martyred in Persia in about AD 42.

In some cases in medieval Europe, it was also applied as a byname or nickname to the youngest (and beloved) son of a large family; this is the sense of modern French benjamin. In North America, this surname has absorbed cognates from other languages, e.g. Assyrian/Chaldean Benyamin and Italian Beniamino.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Benjamin family from?

You can see how Benjamin families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Benjamin family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Benjamin families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 250 Benjamin families living in Quebec. This was about 44% of all the recorded Benjamin's in Canada. Quebec had the highest population of Benjamin families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Benjamin surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Benjamin ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Income were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Benjamin. 35% of Benjamin men worked as a Farmer and 22% of Benjamin women worked as an Income. Some less common occupations for Americans named Benjamin were Journalier and Housekeeper.

View Census Data for Benjamin | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    35%
  • Cultivateur
    16%
  • Labourer
    10%
  • Journalier
    9%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Income
    22%
  • Teacher
    14%
  • Servant
    14%
  • Housekeeper
    9%

What Benjamin family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 196,000 census records available for the last name Benjamin. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Benjamin census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Benjamin

Passenger Lists

There are 37,000 immigration records available for the last name Benjamin. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Benjamin immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 38,000 military records available for the last name Benjamin. For the veterans among your Benjamin ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Benjamin lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Benjamin life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1940, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Benjamin in 1940 was 30, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Benjamin

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Benjamin ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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