Girl · #8,993 in 2026

Benita

Name: Popularity of the name Benita in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Benita, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Current Rank

#8,993

Peak Rank

#445 (1961)

Total Babies

14K

5-Yr Trend

-19%

1889

First Year

2026

Last Year

1961

Peak Year

#445

Peak Rank

14K

Total Count

134

Years Active

The Story of Benita

Benita first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1889, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1961, when 480 Benitas were born — ranking #445 that year. As of 2026, Benita ranks #8,993 for baby girls with 9 births, falling sharply (-19%). In total, more than 14K Benitas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Benita

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

Bonita
Bonito
Benito
Banita
Benicia
Bernita
Bonetta
Panetta
Benetti
Binetti
Banta
Benoit

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Benita

What does the name Benita mean?

Benita is a girl's name that has been used in U.S. records since 1889. Behind the Name doesn't list a specific etymology, but the name has remained in use across multiple decades.

How popular is Benita in 2026?

In 2026, Benita ranks #8,993 among girls' names in the U.S., with 9 babies given the name that year.

When was Benita most popular?

Benita reached its peak popularity in 1961, ranking #445 that year with 480 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Benita most popular?

Benita has historically been most popular in Arizona, Kentucky, Alabama. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Benita.

Is Benita a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Benita is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.

What names go well with Benita?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Benita include Nathalie, Delois, Oaklee. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Benita

Benita is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1889 and has accumulated 14K births in the dataset. Benita's peak popularity came in 1961 when it ranked #445. Use the chart and map above to compare Benita'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.