Benjamin vs William
Benjamin and Williamcompared 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 2025, Benjamin was ranked #48 and William #3 among boys in Norway.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Benjamin was ranked #46 and William #11 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Benjamin was ranked #39 and William #14 among boys in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Benjamin was ranked #61 and William #27 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Benjamin was ranked #76 and William #64 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Benjamin was ranked #78 and William #66 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Benjamin was ranked #83 and William #73 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Benjamin and William over time
Benjamin and William appear together in 6 published lists, across 293 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
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.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 3 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2004, William moved ahead of Benjamin in England and Wales · Boys — #7 and #9 the year before became #9 and #8.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Benjamin and William changed places 6 times in New South Wales, Australia · Boys between 1965 and 2025, ending at #46 and #11.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Benjamin and William averaged 13.1 places apart, ending at #61 and #27.
- Longest-running competitions
Benjamin and William were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 59 years, from 1965 to 2025, ending at #46 and #11.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Benjamin held the stronger position in 2 of those years, William in 60.
Highest recorded here: Benjamin #50 in 2020, William #8 in 1964.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Benjamin #83, William #73.
Norway · Boys61 shared years, 1950–2025
Benjamin held the stronger position in 33 of those years, William in 28.
Highest recorded here: Benjamin #13 in 2016, William #1 in 2012.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Benjamin #48, William #3.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys59 shared years, 1965–2025
Benjamin held the stronger position in 30 of those years, William in 29.
Highest recorded here: Benjamin #5 in 1977, William #1 in 2009.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Benjamin #46, William #11.
New Zealand · Boys54 shared years, 1970–2023
Benjamin held the stronger position in 31 of those years, William in 23.
Highest recorded here: Benjamin #3 in 2003, William #3 in 2008.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Benjamin #39, William #14.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Benjamin held the stronger position in 4 of those years, William in 25.
Highest recorded here: Benjamin #6 in 2002, William #7 in 2006.
The order changed in 2004: William moved ahead. In 2003 they stood at #7 and #9; by 2004 that had become #9 and #8.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Benjamin #61, William #27.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Benjamin held the stronger position in 4 of those years, William in 23.
Highest recorded here: Benjamin #22 in 2002, William #26 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Benjamin #76, William #64.
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 | William |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| 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). | Commonly interpreted as 'resolute protector' or 'will helmet', combining the ideas of desire/will and protection. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Germanic (Old Frankish/Old High German Willehelm) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈbɛndʒəmɪn/ | /ˈwɪljəm/ |
| 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, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #46 (2025) | Norway · Boys #3 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 76/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Benjamin is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin, while William is recorded with a Germanic (Old Frankish/Old High German Willehelm) origin.
- Benjamin has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for William.
- Benjamin's recorded meaning differs from William's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, 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
William
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #277 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2009 (recorded 1952–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #11 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys