Boy · #8,947 in 2026

Banjo

The banjo is a stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity to form a resonator. The membrane is typically circular, and in modern forms is usually made of BOPET, where early membranes were made of goat skin.

Current Rank
#8,947
Peak Rank
#8,947 (2024)
Total Babies
8
5-Yr Trend
Stable
2024
First Year
2024
Last Year
2024
Peak Year
#8947
Peak Rank
8
Total Count
1
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Banjo

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

The banjo is a stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity to form a resonator. The membrane is typically circular, and in modern forms is usually made of BOPET, where early membranes were made of goat skin.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Etymology
The term banjo has several etymological origins. One theory links it to the Mandinka language which gives the name of Banjul , capital of The Gambia. Another claim is a connection to the West African akonting : it is made with a long bamboo neck called a bangoe . The material for the neck, called ban julo in the Mandinka language, again gives banjul . In this interpretation, banjul became a sort of eponym for the akonting as it crossed the Atlantic. The instrument's name might also derive from the Kimbundu word mbanza , which is a loan word to the Portuguese language resulting in the term banz
Origin & history
See also: American Banjo Museum Note: This article uses Helmholtz pitch notation to define banjo tunings.

The Story of Banjo

Banjo first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 2024, with 8 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2024, when 8 Banjos were born — ranking #8,947 that year. As of 2026, Banjo ranks #8,947 for baby boys with 8 births, with steady use. In total, more than 8 Banjos have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 2020s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Banjo

Phonetically similar names — useful when Banjo is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Banjo

What does the name Banjo mean?
The banjo is a stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity to form a resonator. The membrane is typically circular, and in modern forms is usually made of BOPET, where early membranes were made of goat skin.
How popular is Banjo in 2026?
In 2026, Banjo ranks #8,947 among boys' names in the U.S., with 8 babies given the name that year.
When was Banjo most popular?
Banjo reached its peak popularity in 2024, ranking #8,947 that year with 8 babies given the name.
Is Banjo a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Banjo is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Banjo?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Banjo include Hylan, Jhared, Anatoly. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

Similar Names

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Hylan
Peak #8947
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Jhared
Peak #8947
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Anatoly
Peak #8947
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Sanderson
Peak #8947
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Mosa
Peak #8947
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Zoen
Peak #8947
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Aviram
Peak #8947
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Elioth
Peak #8947

About the name Banjo

Banjo is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 2024 and has accumulated 8 births in the dataset. Banjo's peak popularity came in 2024 when it ranked #8,947. Use the chart and map above to compare Banjo's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.