ESC 

Name Rank Total 

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1917

First Year

2024

Last Year

1922

Peak Year

#2109

Peak Rank

612

Total Count

66

Years Active

🌍

## Meaning & Origin of Benny

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

Benny or Bennie is a given name or a shortened version of the given name Benjamin or, less commonly, Benedict, Bennett, Benito, Benson, Bernice, Ebenezer, Benansio/Benancio or Bernard.

Source: [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benny) (CC BY-SA 3.0). [Read more → ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benny)

[![Wikipedia thumbnail for Benny](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/af/Benny_Fredriksson_2013.jpg/330px-Benny_Fredriksson_2013.jpg)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benny)

📖

## The Story of Benny

Benny first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1882, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1948, when 1,065 Bennys were born — ranking #189 that year. As of 2026, Benny ranks #884 for baby boys with 269 births, rising sharply (+47% over the past five years). In total, more than 49K Bennys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s 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

⭐

## Notable people named Benny

A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia. 

* ●Fictional characters
* ●References

Source: [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benny) (CC BY-SA 3.0). [Read more → ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benny)

🎶

## Names that sound like Benny

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

* [Bennie](/bennie)
* [Beni](/beni)
* [Benni](/benni)
* [Bunny](/bunny)
* [Bunnie](/bunnie)
* Bunney
* Bany
* Binny
* [Binnie](/binnie)
* Binney
* [Bonnie](/bonnie)
* Beanie

Source: [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated. 

❓

## Frequently Asked Questions about Benny

What does the name Benny mean?

Benny or Bennie is a given name or a shortened version of the given name Benjamin or, less commonly, Benedict, Bennett, Benito, Benson, Bernice, Ebenezer, Benansio/Benancio or Bernard.

How popular is Benny in 2026?

In 2026, Benny ranks #884 among boys' names in the U.S., with 269 babies given the name that year.

When was Benny most popular?

Benny reached its peak popularity in 1948, ranking #172 that year with 1,065 babies given the name.

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

Benny has historically been most popular in Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Benny.

Is Benny a unisex name?

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

What names go well with Benny?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Benny include Jakob, Messiah, Anton. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

## Similar Names

[👧EverlinaPeak #2109](/everlina)[👧ValriePeak #2109](/valrie)[👧SydnaPeak #2109](/sydna)[👧VerlainePeak #2109](/verlaine)[👧DebyPeak #2109](/deby)[👧IvelissePeak #2109](/ivelisse)[👧MarietaPeak #2110](/marieta)[👧JeanettPeak #2110](/jeanett)

## About the name Benny 

Benny is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1882 and has accumulated 49K births in the dataset. Benny's peak popularity came in 1948 when it ranked #172\. Use the chart and map above to compare Benny's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

### Continue exploring 

* [ Top names of 1948 → ](/year/1948)
* [ Names of the 1940s → ](/decade/1940s)
* [ Names starting with "B" → ](/letter/b)
* [ Browse all boy names → ](/names/boys)
* [ Top names of 2026 → ](/year/2026)

Data sources

* Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. [Social Security Administration ](https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/). 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 ](https://www.behindthename.com/) (used under their public API terms).
* Meaning prose and editorial summary — [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/) article extracts, licensed under [CC BY-SA 3.0 ](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/).
* Predicted nationality distribution — [Nationalize.io ](https://nationalize.io/).
* Phonetically similar names — [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/).

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.