Benjamin vs Phelim
Benjamin and Phelimcompared 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.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2009, Benjamin was ranked #15 and Phelim #4527 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2015, Benjamin was ranked #58 and Phelim #615 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2017, Benjamin was ranked #60 and Phelim #415 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Benjamin and Phelim over time
Benjamin and Phelim appear together in 2 published lists, across 52 years of shared records. Benjamin held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Phelim in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
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.
- Longest-running competitions
Benjamin and Phelim were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 44 years, from 1964 to 2015, ending at #58 and #615.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys44 shared years, 1964–2015
Benjamin held the stronger position in 43 of those years, Phelim in 1.
Highest recorded here: Benjamin #53 in 2002, Phelim #164 in 1964.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2015: Benjamin #58, Phelim #615.
Northern Ireland · Boys8 shared years, 1998–2017
Benjamin held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Phelim in 0.
Highest recorded here: Benjamin #38 in 2000, Phelim #218 in 2001.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2017: Benjamin #60, Phelim #415.
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 | Phelim |
|---|---|---|
| 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-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #46 (2025) | Northern Ireland · Boys #415 (2017) |
| 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); Phelim does not have one recorded yet.
- Benjamin has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Phelim.
- A meaning is recorded for Benjamin; Phelim doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
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
Phelim
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #164 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2015
Highest recorded position: #164 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2015).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2017
Most recently recorded at #415 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2017.
Northern Ireland · Boys