Gender Masculine
Usage English
Pronounced Pron. BEHN-ə-dikt  [key·IPA]

Meaning & History

From the Late Latin name Benedictus, which meant "blessed". Saint Benedict was an Italian monk who founded the Benedictines in the 6th century. After his time the name was common among Christians, being used by 16 popes. In England it did not come into use until the 12th century, at which point it became very popular. This name was also borne by the American general Benedict Arnold (1741-1801), who defected to Britain during the American Revolution.

Related Names

VariantBennett
DiminutivesBen, Bennie, Benny
Other Languages & CulturesBenedikt(Czech) Bendt, Bent(Danish) Ben, Benedictus(Dutch) Pentti(Finnish) Benoît(French) Bieito(Galician) Benedikt, Ben(German) Peni(Hawaiian) Benedek, Benett, Bence(Hungarian) Benedikt(Icelandic) Benedetto, Benito, Bettino(Italian) Benedictus(Late Roman) Bendiks(Latvian) Benedick(Literature) Benediktas, Benas(Lithuanian) Bendik(Norwegian) Benedykt(Polish) Benedito, Bento(Portuguese) Benedikt(Russian) Benito(Spanish) Bengt(Swedish) Benesh(Yiddish)
Surname DescendantBenson(English)
User SubmissionBénédict

Popularity

People think this name is

classic   mature   formal   upper class   wholesome   strong   refined   strange   complex   serious  

Name Days

Czechia: November 12
Romania: March 14

Categories

Entry updated June 13, 2019