Benjamin vs Gordon
Benjamin and Gordoncompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 1999, Benjamin was ranked #40 and Gordon #277 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2018, Benjamin was ranked #56 and Gordon #749 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Benjamin was ranked #61 and Gordon #2443 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Benjamin was ranked #78 and Gordon #727 among boys in Scotland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1965, Benjamin was ranked #100 and Gordon #88 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Benjamin and Gordon over time
Benjamin and Gordon appear together in 2 published lists, across 76 years of shared records. Benjamin held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Gordon in 0.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Gordon reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Benjamin in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1988, Benjamin moved ahead of Gordon in Republic of Ireland · Boys — #134 and #128 the year before became #128 and #179.
- Longest-running competitions
Benjamin and Gordon were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 47 years, from 1964 to 2018, ending at #56 and #749.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1964 they stood at #139 and #129 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, 10 places apart; by 2018 they were #56 and #749.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys47 shared years, 1964–2018
Benjamin held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Gordon in 20.
Highest recorded here: Benjamin #53 in 2002, Gordon #83 in 1976.
The order changed in 1988: Benjamin moved ahead. In 1987 they stood at #134 and #128; by 1988 that had become #128 and #179.
Most recent shared year, 2018: Benjamin #56, Gordon #749.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Benjamin held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Gordon in 0.
Highest recorded here: Benjamin #6 in 2002, Gordon #661 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Benjamin #61, Gordon #2443.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Benjamin | Gordon |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as 'son of the right hand', with the underlying literal sense being 'son of the south' (since 'right' indicated the southerly direction in the biblical east-facing orientation convention). | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈbɛndʒəmɪn/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #46 (2025) | Scotland · Boys #727 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 76/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Benjamin has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Gordon does not have one recorded yet.
- Benjamin has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Gordon.
- A meaning is recorded for Benjamin; Gordon doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Benjamin
Popularity journey
First recorded1950
First recorded at #345 among boys in Norway in 1950 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1970–2023
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in New Zealand, in 2003 (recorded 1970–2023).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #46 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Gordon
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #58 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1954–1967
Highest recorded position: #51 among boys in New Zealand, in 1956 (recorded 1954–1967).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2443 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys