Benji is an affectionate short form of Benjamin, the Hebrew name that means "son of the right hand" or "son of the south". For many Americans it brings to mind the lovable mutt of the 1974 family film Benji and its sequels. As a stand-alone name Benji has climbed from number 4602 in 2000 and number 2359 in 2015 to number 1341 in 2025, its highest rank so far.