Origin: Germanic Old English prefix
Benin has 3 different meanings across 2 categories:
a country on western coast of Africa; formerly under French control
"After gaining independence from France, Benin has developed its own unique culture along the western coast of Africa."
A country in West Africa, formerly Dahomey.
"Benin is a West African nation that was formerly known as Dahomey."
People's Republic of Benin, from 1975 to 1990
"During his travels through West Africa in the 1980s, he visited Lagos before crossing into what was then called the People's Republic of Benin."
The name comes from the Itsekiri word Ubinu, which itself derives from the Yoruba phrase ile ibinu meaning "house of vexation." Portuguese traders later adapted this term to create the modern name Benin.