Bentley
Bentley Motors Limited is a British designer, manufacturer and marketer of luxury cars and SUVs. Headquartered in Crewe, England, the company was founded by W. O. Bentley (1888–1971) in 1919 in Cricklewood, North London, and became widely known for winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1924, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1930 and 2003.
- English
Meaning & Origin of Bentley
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Bentley Motors Limited is a British designer, manufacturer and marketer of luxury cars and SUVs. Headquartered in Crewe, England, the company was founded by W. O. Bentley (1888–1971) in 1919 in Cricklewood, North London, and became widely known for winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1924, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1930 and 2003.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
The Story of Bentley
As a girl name
The earliest SSA record of Bentley as a girl name dates back to 1986, when 7 babies received it. 2011 was its biggest year on record, with 288 newborns named Bentley — #905 in the national rankings. About 53% of every Bentley on record arrived during the 2010s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Bentley ranks #1,601 for girls with 130 births, gradually falling (-6%). All told, over 4K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1980s to the 2020s.
As a boy name
American parents first put Bentley on the record books as a boy name in 1890, with 6 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 2012, when 5,895 Bentleys were born — ranking #75 that year. About 71% of every Bentley on record arrived during the 2010s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Bentley ranks #227 for boys with 1,579 births, falling sharply (-40%). All told, over 62K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1890s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Bentley
Phonetically similar names — useful when Bentley is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Bently
- Benty
- Bentleys
- Betley
- Bentler
- Benchley
- Pendley
- Bluntly
- Bunty
- Buoyantly
- Banale
- Bounty
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Bentley
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Is Bentley a unisex name?
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About the name Bentley
Bentley is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1890 and has accumulated 62K births in the dataset. Bentley's peak popularity came in 2012 when it ranked #75. Use the chart and map above to compare Bentley's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2012 →
- Names of the 2010s →
- Names starting with "B" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
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.