Benny
Benny was the 841st most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 293 babies. Its best year was 1939, when it ranked 172nd; the most babies were born in 1948 (1,065). Over the last ten years it has moved up 597 places. More babies were named Benny in the 1940s than in any other decade.
Meaning pet form of Benjamin · English, Hebrew
Say it BEN-ee /ˈbɛni/
- Rank in 2025
- #841 boys, up 303 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 293boys
- Girls and boys
- 5% girls, 95% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19481,065 babies
- Total since 1880
- 49,144babies recorded
What does the name Benny mean?
Benny is a pet form of Benjamin, and less often of Benedict, Bernard or Bernadette. Benjamin is the youngest son of Jacob in the Bible; DMNES glosses the Hebrew as "son of the right hand", and in Genesis 35:18 his dying mother names him Ben-oni before his father renames him. Benny was most common in the US in the 1930s and 1940s.
בִּנְיָמִין (Biblical Hebrew, “Binyamin, "son of the right hand"”)
How sure is this? Well established. Benjamin is usually read as "son of the right hand" (also "son of the south"); an ancient alternative is "son of days".
Related names: Benjamin, Ben, Bennie, Benji.
See also: Hebrew names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Benny', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Benjamin', DMNES (Durham University)
- Hebrew Bible, Genesis 35:18, JPS Tanakh (Gender-Sensitive Edition) via Sefaria, Sefaria
Benny popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #4,371 | #841 | 32 | 293 |
| 2020 | #13,730 | #1,144 | 6 | 170 |
| 2010 | — | #1,179 | — | 153 |
| 2000 | — | #835 | — | 192 |
| 1990 | — | #714 | — | 203 |
| 1980 | #9,202 | #491 | 6 | 297 |
| 1970 | #8,093 | #415 | 5 | 384 |
| 1960 | #3,934 | #282 | 11 | 784 |
| 1950 | #4,353 | #215 | 7 | 875 |
| 1940 | #2,752 | #179 | 10 | 814 |
| 1930 | #2,431 | #237 | 13 | 533 |
| 1920 | #4,000 | #362 | 7 | 272 |
| 1910 | — | #376 | — | 47 |
| 1900 | — | #402 | — | 31 |
| 1890 | — | #816 | — | 7 |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
How popular is Benny, counting every spelling?
Benny is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #706 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #841 for Benny on its own. Together these spellings went to 371 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benny | 293 | #841 | 1,197 |
| Bennie | 53 | #2,519 | 269 |
| Beni | 20 | #4,877 | 65 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Benny?
293 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Benny (0.08 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Benny born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 29 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Benny.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Benny?
About 26,700 people born in the US named Benny are alive today, with a median age of 62; half are between 39 and 73. That makes Benny a name most people associate with older generations.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Benny by state
How common Benny was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Utah (3.3×), Arizona (2.5×), California (2.1×). In 29 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Benny: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Benny, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Benny · Sibling names for Benny
Benny is also a nickname for Benedict, Benjamin, Bennett, Benicio and Ben.
Questions about the name Benny
What does Benny mean?
Benny means “pet form of Benjamin” (English, Hebrew origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Benny?
Benny was the 841st most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 293 babies. Its best year was 1939, when it ranked 172nd; the most babies were born in 1948 (1,065). Over the last ten years it has moved up 597 places. More babies were named Benny in the 1940s than in any other decade.
Is Benny a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 5% girls, 95% boys given the name Benny in the US.
Where is Benny most popular?
In 2021–2025, Benny was most common in Utah (0.45 per 1,000 boys), followed by Arizona and California.