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
Other Languages & CulturesBenedikt(Czech) Bendt, Bent(Danish) Benedictus, Ben(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) Benediktas, Benas(Lithuanian) Bendik(Norwegian) Benedykt(Polish) Benedito, Bento(Portuguese) Benedikt(Russian) Benito(Spanish) Bengt(Swedish) Benesh(Yiddish)
Surname DescendantBenson(English)
Popularity
People think this name is
classic mature formal upper class wholesome strong refined strange complex serious nerdy
Name Days
Czech Republic: November 12
