Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Benson

Benson is another example of a last name turned given name. Benson originated as an Anglo-Saxon patronymic surname meaning “son of Benne” with Benne being a medieval short form of Benedictus. Benedictus is a Late Latin masculine name that means “blessed” so you could say that Benson means “son of the blessed one”. Benedictus became popularized in England in the later Middle Ages although its success in Europe predates this. The personal name Benedict owed much of its popularity to St. Benedict (c. 480-545) who founded the Benedictine order of monks in Italy and established The Rule of Saint Benedict (a model for all subsequent monasteries). Thanks to the renown of St. Benedict there have been 16 popes who have taken his name through the ages. Aside from Benson meaning “son of Benedict”, the surname may have also developed from a place name in England (Benson, Oxfordshire) formerly known by its Olde English name Bænesingtun meaning “Benesa’s settlement” with the personal name Benesa being of obscure origin but thought to be derivative of “Bana” meaning “slayer”. The first recorded spelling of this surname came in the form of Benneson in the early 14th century.

All About the Baby Name – Benson

Personality

OF THE BOY NAME BENSON

Romance is the hallmark of the Six personality. They exude nurturing, loving, and caring energy. Sixes are in love with the idea of love in its idealized form - and with their magnetic personalities, they easily draw people toward them. Like the number Two personality, they seek balance and harmony in their life and the world at large. They are conscientious and service-oriented, and a champion for the underdog. These personalities naturally attract money and are usually surrounded by lovely material objects - but their human relationships are always primary. They thrive in giving back to others rather than being motivated by their own desires. This is when they achieve great things. Sixes are natural teachers, ministers and counselors.

Popularity

OF THE BOY NAME BENSON

Benson has had a bunch of random and brief moments on the American masculine naming chart. The name appeared sporadically here and there between the late 1880s and today. Over the course of the past 130 years there have only been 13 different years when the name achieved Top 1000 status. The name has made another recent appearance in 2010 and this time we wouldn’t be surprised if he does better. Mostly because American parents are ga-ga over surnames as first names and Benson fits the bill. Other “son of” surnames that are much more popular than Benson are Jackson, Harrison, Jameson, Anderson, Dawson, Wilson and Jefferson for example. Although technically derived from “son of Benedict” Benson could also be considered a “son of Benjamin”. One caveat to consider, though: Benson is the name of a popular cigarette brand (Benson & Hedges).

Quick Facts

ON BENSON

GENDER:

Boy

ORIGIN:

English

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

2

RANKING POPULARITY:

577

PRONUNCIATION:

BEN-sәn

SIMPLE MEANING:

Son of Benedict

Characteristics

OF BENSON

Humanitarian

Community-minded

Family-oriented

Loving

Affectionate

Compassionate

Sensitive

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Benson

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME BENSON

We cannot find any significant literary characters by the name of Benson

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME BENSON

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Benson


Popular Songs

ON BENSON

We cannot find any popular or well-known songs with the name of Benson


Famous People

NAMED BENSON

Benson Henderson (mixed martial artist)

Children of Famous People

NAMED BENSON

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Benson

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME BENSON

We cannot find any historically significant people with the first name Benson