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Benzion

♂ Boy

Pronounced ben-tsee-OHN /bɛn.tsiˈoʊn/High

Meaning: Son of Zion; a Hebrew name declaring attachment to Jerusalem, long used in traditional Jewish communitiesHigh

In 30 seconds: A name with an address: Benzion means 'son of Zion' — Jerusalem claimed as parentage. Cherished for centuries in traditional Jewish families, from shtetl to Brooklyn.

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Origin HighHebrew

MeaningSon of Zion; a Hebrew name declaring attachment to Jerusalem, long used in traditional Jewish communities

U.S. rank (2025)#3672 ↘ Falling

2025 U.S. births30 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year2019

Total births (all-time)≈ 1,081

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Benzion (Ben-Zion) is a Hebrew compound — 'son of Zion' — expressing devotion to Jerusalem long before modern movements borrowed the word; rabbinic luminaries like Sephardic chief rabbi Ben-Zion Meir Hai Uziel and scholars like Benzion Netanyahu carried it through the twentieth century. Yiddish-speaking Europe wore it as Bentsion, with the warm nickname Bentzi.

Today the name lives chiefly in Orthodox and Hasidic communities, rare beyond them. Few names state their loyalty so plainly.

Did you know? Sholem Aleichem — whose Tevye stories became Fiddler on the Roof — gave the name to characters of his Yiddish world, where Benzion was as ordinary as the love of Zion it declares.

Overall data confidence 90%

Behind the Name — Ben-Zion — etymology

Variations

Ben-ZionBentzionBencion

Nicknames

BentziBen

Famous Bearers

★Benzion Netanyahu (1910–2012)
Israeli historian of the Spanish Inquisition and medieval Jewry.

If you like Benzion…

Zion— the holy hill the name claims as parent

Akiva— a fellow traditional name of observant families

Gershon— another deep-rooted Hebrew classic in the same communities

Simeon— echoes that soft -on sound

Davion— lands in the same popularity range

Explore names like Benzion

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Benzion mean?

Benzion is Hebrew for 'son of Zion', declaring attachment to Jerusalem.

How do you pronounce Benzion?

It's said ben-tsee-OHN /bɛn.tsiˈoʊn/ — three syllables, stress on the last.

Is Benzion a boy or girl name?

Benzion is a boy's name.

How popular is Benzion?

Benzion is rare nationally and steady within Orthodox Jewish communities.