Benjamin

Benjamin comes from the Hebrew Binyamin, meaning son of the right hand, a phrase that can also be read as son of the south, since the right hand faced south when one looked east. In the Book of Genesis, Benjamin is the youngest son of Jacob and Rachel, whose mother died at his birth; he became the ancestor of the tribe of Benjamin, to which King Saul and the apostle Paul belonged. Benjamin Franklin, printer, scientist and diplomat, helped draft the American Declaration of Independence. Other bearers include the British prime minister Benjamin Disraeli and the composer Benjamin Britten.