Benjamin

In Genesis, Benjamin is the youngest son of Jacob — the baby of the family, the favorite, born on a road with grief behind him. The Hebrew Binyamin means son of the right hand, the favored side, the side of blessing. The name has aged into American life with uncommon warmth: Benjamin Franklin lent it ingenuity, Dustin Hoffman's Graduate lent it a sixties ache, and parents today love that it yields a whole chorus of nicknames — Ben, Benny, Benji. It has held a comfortable top-twenty spot for decades. Three syllables, a gentle cadence, an easy handshake. Bookish, kind, and quietly beloved.