Bonnie
Bonnie was the 396th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 785 babies. Its best year was 1941, when it ranked 33rd; the most babies were born in 1947 (10,214). Over the last ten years it has moved up 469 places. More babies were named Bonnie in the 1940s than in any other decade.
Meaning pretty, fine (Scots) · Scots, French
Say it BON-ee /ˈbɑni/
- Rank in 2025
- #396 girls, up 210 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 785girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 194710,214 babies
- Total since 1880
- 332,712babies recorded
What does the name Bonnie mean?
Bonnie is the Scots word for pretty, fine or attractive, from French bon, bonne, "good". Wiktionary notes it began as an American nickname from the Scottish word. It became a given name in its own right; Bonnie Blue Butler in Gone with the Wind (1936) and the 1930s outlaw Bonnie Parker are well-known bearers.
bonnie (Scots, “pretty, fine”)bon (French, “good”)
How sure is this? Well established.
See also: Scottish names, names that mean beautiful.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Bonnie', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary.com Unabridged (based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary), with Collins English Dictionary, s.v. 'Bonnie', Dictionary.com / Random House / HarperCollins
- CMU Pronouncing Dictionary (cmudict), Carnegie Mellon University
Bonnie popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 4,037 since 1884.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #396 | 785 |
| 2020 | #606 | 481 |
| 2010 | #1,263 | 189 |
| 2000 | #920 | 235 |
| 1990 | #379 | 694 |
| 1980 | #166 | 1,710 |
| 1970 | #130 | 2,747 |
| 1960 | #71 | 6,389 |
| 1950 | #33 | 9,746 |
| 1940 | #39 | 5,957 |
| 1930 | #78 | 3,265 |
| 1920 | #154 | 1,515 |
| 1910 | #183 | 374 |
| 1900 | #212 | 220 |
| 1890 | #252 | 98 |
| 1880 | #452 | 14 |
How popular is Bonnie, counting every spelling?
Bonnie is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #418 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #396 for Bonnie on its own. Together these spellings went to 785 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bonnie | 785 | #396 | 3,292 |
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 Bonnie?
785 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Bonnie (0.22 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Bonnie 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 11 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Bonnie.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Bonnie?
About 202,300 people born in the US named Bonnie are alive today, with a median age of 70; half are between 60 and 78. That makes Bonnie 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.
Bonnie by state
How common Bonnie was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Idaho (2.8×), Utah (2.7×), Arkansas (2.4×), Oklahoma (2.4×), Mississippi (2.3×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Bonnie: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Bonnie, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Bonnie · Sibling names for Bonnie
Bonnie is also a nickname for Bonita.
Questions about the name Bonnie
What does Bonnie mean?
Bonnie means “pretty, fine (Scots)” (Scots, French origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Bonnie?
Bonnie was the 396th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 785 babies. Its best year was 1941, when it ranked 33rd; the most babies were born in 1947 (10,214). Over the last ten years it has moved up 469 places. More babies were named Bonnie in the 1940s than in any other decade.
Is Bonnie a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Bonnie in the US.
Where is Bonnie most popular?
In 2021–2025, Bonnie was most common in Montana (1.33 per 1,000 girls), followed by Idaho and Utah.