Baby Names US
girls' name ★ peaked 1950

Bonita

Meaning Bonita is a feminine given name of Spanish origin Gender Girl Rank 2025 #8,957

Bonita is a feminine given name of Spanish origin.

Rank 2025
#8,957
among girls · ↓1,651 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
11
named Bonita
How common
1 in 146,115
girls born in 2025
Peak year
1950
1,528 babies
All-time total
37,854
#719 all-time among girls
First recorded
1888
in Social Security records

Bonita popularity over time

37,854 babies have been named Bonita since 1888, 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
0.250.50.75118801900192019401960198020002020GirlsBoys
GirlsBoys

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 6 – 6 1 – #1,151
1890s 35 – 35 4 +483% #1,139
1900s 165 – 165 17 +371% #692
1910s 735 – 735 74 +345% #632
1920s 1,726 – 1,726 173 +135% #482
1930s 2,633 – 2,633 263 +53% #312
1940s 10,405 – 10,405 1,041 +295% #186
1950s 12,076 6 12,082 1,208 +16% #181
1960s 6,587 6 6,593 659 -45% #303
1970s 1,718 – 1,718 172 -74% #566
1980s 885 – 885 89 -48% #1,111
1990s 450 – 450 45 -49% #1,893
2000s 186 – 186 19 -59% #4,465
2010s 149 – 149 15 -20% #6,220
2020s (to 2025) 86 – 86 14 -4% #6,978

The story of Bonita

Bonita is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #8,957 in 2025 with 11 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.

Since 1888, 37,854 American babies have been named Bonita. Its peak came in 1950, when 1,528 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1950s.

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 Bonita stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Bonita?

The median living Bonita is about 70 years old; half are between 62 and 76. An estimated 27 thousand people named Bonita are alive in the United States today.

median 70 020406080100

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

Bonita 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 11 #8,957 – –
2024 15 #7,306 – –
2023 16 #6,984 – –
2022 14 #7,700 – –
2021 14 #7,699 – –
2020 16 #6,978 – –
2019 12 #8,681 – –
2018 9 #10,708 – –
2017 8 #11,832 – –
2016 20 #6,220 – –
2015 15 #7,682 – –
2014 17 #7,042 – –
2013 14 #8,207 – –
2012 16 #7,510 – –
2011 18 #6,897 – –
2010 20 #6,421 – –
2009 19 #6,855 – –
2008 19 #6,848 – –
2007 12 #9,642 – –
2006 24 #5,574 – –
2005 19 #6,306 – –
2004 17 #6,826 – –
2003 22 #5,448 – –
2002 10 #9,595 – –
2001 27 #4,465 – –
2000 17 #6,253 – –
1995 29 #3,676 – –
1990 74 #1,893 – –
1985 60 #1,859 – –
1980 123 #1,111 – –
1975 126 #979 – –
1970 321 #566 – –
1965 624 #363 – –
1960 893 #316 – –
1955 1,238 #230 6 #3,541
1950 1,528 #181 – –
1945 844 #226 – –
1940 516 #275 – –
1935 260 #401 – –
1930 219 #455 – –
1925 208 #485 – –
1920 137 #608 – –
1915 90 #700 – –
1910 39 #681 – –
1905 15 #971 – –
1900 8 #1,451 – –
1895 8 #1,211 – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Famous people named Bonita

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

  1. 1 Bonita Granville Bonita Granville American actress and producer (1923–1988) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Bonita?

The median living Bonita is about 70 years old. Half of all living Bonitas are between 62 and 76 years old.

How many people named Bonita are alive today?

An estimated 27 thousand people named Bonita are alive in the United States, based on 37,854 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Bonita mean?

Bonita is a feminine given name of Spanish origin.

How popular is the name Bonita in 2025?

Bonita ranked #8,957 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 11 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Bonita?

37,854 babies have been named Bonita in the United States since 1888, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Bonita most popular?

Bonita peaked in 1950, when 1,528 newborns received the name.

Is Bonita a boy or girl name?

Bonita is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Bonita rising or falling?

Bonita has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Who are famous people named Bonita?

Well-known people named Bonita include Bonita Granville (actor).

Names like Bonita

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

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