Benedict comes from the Latin Benedictus and means "blessed". Saint Benedict of Nursia founded Western monasticism in the sixth century, sixteen popes have taken the name, and actor Benedict Cumberbatch has given it a modern face. Benedict was rare in America for most of the 20th century; it entered the US top 1000 in 2021 and has risen to number 814 in 2025, its best rank so far.