Benjamin vs Jamal
Benjamin and Jamalcompared 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.
Norway · Boys
In 2022, Benjamin was ranked #29 and Jamal #479 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Benjamin was ranked #61 and Jamal #757 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2023, Benjamin was ranked #71 and Jamal #660 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Benjamin was ranked #78 and Jamal #352 among boys in Scotland.
Benjamin and Jamal over time
Benjamin and Jamal appear together in 3 published lists, across 86 years of shared records. Benjamin held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Jamal 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.
Jamal reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 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.
- Mirrored each other
Over 41 shared years in Norway · Boys, Benjamin rose about as far as Jamal fell — from #422 and #274 in 1957 to #29 and #479 in 2022.
- Longest-running competitions
Benjamin and Jamal were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 41 years, from 1957 to 2022, ending at #29 and #479.
List by list
Norway · Boys41 shared years, 1957–2022
Benjamin held the stronger position in 37 of those years, Jamal in 4.
Highest recorded here: Benjamin #13 in 2016, Jamal #274 in 1957.
The order changed in 1972: Benjamin moved ahead. In 1971 they stood at #435 and #391; by 1972 that had become #322 and #435.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Benjamin #29, Jamal #479.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Benjamin held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Jamal in 0.
Highest recorded here: Benjamin #6 in 2002, Jamal #220 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Benjamin #61, Jamal #757.
Republic of Ireland · Boys16 shared years, 1998–2023
Benjamin held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Jamal in 0.
Highest recorded here: Benjamin #53 in 2002, Jamal #324 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Benjamin #71, Jamal #660.
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 | Jamal |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | GB-ENW, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #46 (2025) | Scotland · Boys #352 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 76/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Benjamin has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Jamal does not have one recorded yet.
- Benjamin has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Jamal.
- A meaning is recorded for Benjamin; Jamal doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-SCT, IE, NO.
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
Jamal
Popularity journey
First recorded1956
First recorded at #343 among boys in Norway in 1956 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #220 among boys in England and Wales, in 1996 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #757 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys