In English, my name means son of my right hand which derives from a biblical background. It is Hebrew. It is Christian. It is Islamic. If it were painted onto a canvas it would be the color blue. It can be painted deep, dark, and full with strict, vigorous strokes. Or with more of a light, fluffy, and loose feel with a light, blotchy, watercolor look. To me it is a name that is rich in origin and versatility.

I see the color blue because of my twin. My sister who always had pink things. And I, who always had blue things. Growing up, we were victims of gender socialization. And honestly, I loved it. I thought it was cool how we grew up in totally different ways.  

My name came to be in a small library, in a small town. My mother and father were looking through a baby name book and when my father saw Benjamin he slammed the book shut. The rest was history.

I am the only member in my family that is named Benjamin and I like it that way. I think it would be weird to share a name with someone close to me. I do not like how common my name is in general though. There are 443,860 people in the United States that share it with me. That means that approximately 1 in every 733 people have my name.

My opinion outweighs the popularity of the name. I like how my name is versatile. I can go by Benjamin. Benny. Or Ben—My favorite of the three. That version of my name is a medium blue. Ben lightens the deep, dark blue of Benjamin, but is not light enough to be a sky blue.

Although Benjamin is rich and full, I do also like being called Benny. I feel that it helps create a sense of trust and connection with the people I am close to. It is more of a sky blue. Like a sky with fluffy clouds that makes it easily bounce off your tongue.  l like to think my name has a depth in three different levels of formality: heavy, medium, and light.

I don’t feel like my name needs any change at all. It can be anywhere from light and loose to rich and heavy. My personality is very alike falling under a similar spectrum. I can be a fierce leader on the track team. A loving family member. Or just a light hearted guy.  

Overall, I like my name. I like Benjamin, Ben, and Benny. I like all of it. I feel that my name suits me.