Boy · Latin
Benedictus
Say it: ben-eh-DIK-tus
Meaning
Latin benedictus 'blessed', literally 'well spoken of'.
Certainscholars agree on this meaning.
Spread by St. Benedict of Nursia and his monastic rule; medieval English used the form Bennet.
Its wave through time
No birth counts are recorded for this name in the records loaded here: it has been given to fewer than five babies a year, or not at all, since records began.
Through the ages
- Ancient Rome750 BC to AD 476
- The Early Middle Ages400 to 800
- The High and Late Middle Ages1100 to 1450
- The Renaissance1400 to 1600
- The Modern Age1880 to today
Used by
The family of the name
| English | Benedict |
|---|---|
| Italian | Benedetto |
| Spanish | Benito |
| French | Benoît |
| German | Benedikt |
| Portuguese | Bento |
| Polish | Benedykt |
Famous bearers
- St. Benedict of Nursia
- Pope Benedict XVI
Names worth a look
Where this comes from
- Lives of the saints and early Christian martyrologies
- Calendars of saints and name days
Meanings and histories are compiled from the study of names and their languages and checked by a second review.
Meanings and histories are drawn from the study of names and their languages, each with a confidence rating; popularity figures come from official birth records. Name histories are a living field: if you know of a correction, we would be glad to hear it.