boys' name ★ peaked 1948

Benny

Gender Boy · 1% girls Rank 2025 #841 Trend ↑ Rising 67%
Rank 2025
#841
among boys · ↑47 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
325
named Benny · +17% vs 2024
How common
1 in 5,830
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1948
1,074 babies
All-time total
49,144
#521 all-time among boys
First recorded
1882
in Social Security records

Benny popularity over time

49,144 babies have been named Benny since 1882, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.250.50.75118801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – 53 53 5 – #516
1890s – 109 109 11 +106% #487
1900s – 263 263 26 +141% #332
1910s 15 1,636 1,651 165 +528% #340
1920s 114 3,813 3,927 393 +138% #255
1930s 123 6,863 6,986 699 +78% #172
1940s 98 9,303 9,401 940 +35% #176
1950s 85 8,805 8,890 889 -5% #213
1960s 69 5,655 5,724 572 -36% #279
1970s 36 3,316 3,352 335 -41% #415
1980s 19 2,341 2,360 236 -30% #490
1990s – 1,828 1,828 183 -23% #714
2000s – 1,749 1,749 175 -4% #835
2010s 10 1,399 1,409 141 -19% #1,179
2020s (to 2025) 75 1,367 1,442 240 +71% #841

Where Benny is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 320 0.19 outside top 500
2027 344 0.20 outside top 500
2028 366 0.21 outside top 500
2029 386 0.23 outside top 500
2030 404 0.24 outside top 500

Where Benny is most popular

Boys named Benny per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.139 per 1,000. Strongest in Utah, Arizona, and California.

Vs national average
well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are boys named Benny born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State Boys 2021–2025 Per 1,000 vs national
Utah 43 0.450 +225%
Arizona 56 0.342 +147%
California 265 0.290 +109%
Washington 30 0.183 +32%
Texas 141 0.160 +15%
New York 65 0.150 +8%
Missouri 20 0.144 ≈ national
Ohio 36 0.136 ≈ national
North Carolina 32 0.125 -10%
Nevada 7 0.123 -11%
Idaho 5 0.122 -12%
Florida 57 0.120 -13%
New Jersey 24 0.119 -14%
Louisiana 11 0.108 -22%
Colorado 11 0.085 -39%
Illinois 21 0.082 -41%
Oklahoma 7 0.079 -43%
Pennsylvania 20 0.075 -46%
Michigan 12 0.059 -58%
Indiana 6 0.037 -73%
Virginia 5 0.026 -81%
Georgia 6 0.024 -83%
Alaska – – –
Alabama – – –
Arkansas – – –
Connecticut – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Hawaii – – –
Iowa – – –
Kansas – – –
Kentucky – – –
Massachusetts – – –
Maryland – – –
Maine – – –
Minnesota – – –
Mississippi – – –
Montana – – –
North Dakota – – –
Nebraska – – –
New Hampshire – – –
New Mexico – – –
Oregon – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Carolina – – –
South Dakota – – –
Tennessee – – –
Vermont – – –
Wisconsin – – –
West Virginia – – –
Wyoming – – –

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Benny

Benny is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #841 in 2025 with 293 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1882, 49,144 American babies have been named Benny. Its peak came in 1948, when 1,074 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1940s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Benny stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Benny?

The median living Benny is about 62 years old; half are between 40 and 74. An estimated 29 thousand people named Benny are alive in the United States today.

median 62 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Benny year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 32 #4,371 293 #841
2024 11 #9,035 267 #888
2023 9 #10,448 209 #1,044
2022 11 #9,150 211 #1,045
2021 6 #13,757 217 #1,008
2020 6 #13,730 170 #1,144
2019 – – 161 #1,189
2018 – – 148 #1,244
2017 – – 131 #1,360
2016 – – 122 #1,422
2015 5 #16,860 118 #1,438
2014 5 #16,967 140 #1,273
2013 – – 142 #1,245
2012 – – 135 #1,293
2011 – – 149 #1,186
2010 – – 153 #1,179
2009 – – 149 #1,212
2008 – – 155 #1,166
2007 – – 193 #1,002
2006 – – 193 #963
2005 – – 167 #1,013
2004 – – 181 #935
2003 – – 161 #984
2002 – – 193 #860
2001 – – 165 #942
2000 – – 192 #835
1995 – – 182 #796
1990 – – 203 #714
1985 – – 213 #599
1980 6 #9,202 297 #491
1975 5 #9,203 325 #437
1970 5 #8,093 384 #415
1965 8 #4,862 514 #334
1960 11 #3,934 784 #282
1955 14 #3,107 822 #245
1950 7 #4,353 875 #215
1945 11 #2,751 822 #187
1940 10 #2,752 814 #179
1935 12 #2,447 678 #190
1930 13 #2,431 533 #237
1925 14 #2,500 394 #289
1920 7 #4,000 272 #362
1915 – – 210 #371
1910 – – 47 #376
1905 – – 27 #411
1900 – – 31 #402
1895 – – 10 #692
1890 – – 7 #816
1885 – – 9 #649
1880 – – – –

Famous people named Benny

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Benny Blanco Benny Blanco American record producer (born 1988) Contemporary
  2. 2 Benny Hill Benny Hill English comedy actor (1924–1992) Contemporary
  3. 3 Benny Urquidez Benny Urquidez American kickboxer and martial artist b. 1952 · Contemporary
  4. 4 Benny Hinn Benny Hinn American-Canadian evangelist (born 1952) Contemporary
  5. 5 Benny Gantz Benny Gantz Israeli general and politician (born 1959) Contemporary
  6. 6 Benny Goodman Benny Goodman American jazz clarinetist and bandleader (1909–1986) Contemporary
  7. 7 Benny Morris Benny Morris Israeli historian (born 1948) Contemporary
  8. 8 Benny Benassi Benny Benassi Italian DJ and producer (born 1967) Contemporary
  9. 9 Benny Golson Benny Golson American jazz saxophonist and composer (1929–2024) Contemporary
  10. 10 Benny Moré Benny Moré Cuban singer, bandleader and songwriter (1919–1963) Contemporary
  11. 11 Benny Carter Benny Carter American jazz musician, composer, and bandleader (1907–2003) Contemporary
  12. 12 Benny Feilhaber Benny Feilhaber Soccer coach and former professional player (born 1985) Contemporary
  13. 13 Benny Cristo Benny Cristo Czech singer and athlete (born 1987) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Benny, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Benny?

The median living Benny is about 62 years old. Half of all living Bennys are between 40 and 74 years old.

How many people named Benny are alive today?

An estimated 29 thousand people named Benny are alive in the United States, based on 49,144 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Benny in 2025?

Benny ranked #841 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 293 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Benny?

49,144 babies have been named Benny in the United States since 1882, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Benny most popular?

Benny peaked in 1948, when 1,074 newborns received the name.

Is Benny a boy or girl name?

Benny is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 99% of babies with the name.

Is the name Benny rising or falling?

Benny is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Benny become more popular?

Benny is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 404 boys named Benny in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Benny?

Well-known people named Benny include Benny Blanco (singer), Benny Hill (actor), Benny Urquidez (martial arts).

Names like Benny

Names that sound and feel close to Benny: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Benny with similar names → More names starting with B →