Is Benny a boy, girl, or unisex name?

Benny is commonly used as a Boy name.

How popular is Benny?

It’s currently ranked #661 in the U.S. Recent trend: Rising.

Benny Boy

Popularity: #661 · Trend: ↗ Rising

Origin(s)

PronunciationBEN-ee / /ˈbɛni/

Hebrew; English

Meaning

Hebrew: Son of the right hand; English: Diminutive of Benjamin

Historical & Cultural Background

Benny is often used as a diminutive form of the name Benjamin, which has biblical origins. In Hebrew culture, Benjamin was the youngest son of Jacob and Rachel. The name has been popular in various cultures, particularly in English-speaking countries. It has also been embraced in various forms across different languages.

Trend Summary

Benny has seen fluctuating popularity in the U.S., with a notable resurgence in recent years.

Variants

Ben
Benji

International Variants

Benoît (French)
Beni (Italian)
Benny (Dutch)

Famous people named Benny

Benny Goodman was an American jazz clarinetist and bandleader known as the 'King of Swing'.

Benny Hill was a British comedian and actor famous for his television show that featured slapstick humor.

Benny Hinn is a televangelist known for his healing crusades and faith-based teachings.

Benny Blanco is an American record producer and songwriter recognized for his work with various pop artists.

Fictional characters named Benny

Benny the Jet Rodriguez is a character from the film 'The Sandlot', known for his exceptional baseball skills.

Benny is a character in the animated series 'Benny and the Ink Machine', serving as a key figure in the storyline.

Sibling Suggestions

Ben Samuel David Jacob Isaac Daniel

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Benny was first seen in the United States in 1882. Benny has ranked as high as #406 nationally, which occurred in 1948, and has been most popular in California, Texas, New York, Georgia, and North Carolina. In the past 5 years the name Benny has been trending up compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

Top States for Benny (2024)

Year:

State	Births	Share
CA	61	33%
TX	35	19%
FL	15	8%
NY	13	7%
AZ	13	7%
IL	11	6%
UT	11	6%
WA	7	4%
GA	6	3%
OH	5	3%
VA	5	3%
ID	5	3%

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

Year	Births
1882	5
1884	5
1885	9
1886	13
1887	10
1888	6
1889	5
1890	7
1891	6
1892	9
1893	9
1894	9
1895	10
1896	16
1897	12
1898	18
1899	13
1900	31
1901	17
1902	13
1903	17
1904	18
1905	27
1906	31
1907	41
1908	37
1909	31
1910	47
1911	50
1912	87
1913	122
1914	144
1915	210
1916	196
1917	223
1918	282
1919	275
1920	272
1921	316
1922	299
1923	346
1924	415
1925	394
1926	399
1927	429
1928	460
1929	483
1930	533
1931	601
1932	593
1933	595
1934	684
1935	678
1936	732
1937	760
1938	823
1939	864
1940	814
1941	835
1942	877
1943	960
1944	897
1945	821
1946	1,003
1947	1,061
1948	1,065
1949	969
1950	875
1951	926
1952	896
1953	897
1954	914
1955	822
1956	885
1957	873
1958	873
1959	845
1960	784
1961	719
1962	752
1963	637
1964	592
1965	514
1966	458
1967	398
1968	404
1969	397
1970	384
1971	370
1972	348
1973	303
1974	344
1975	324
1976	286
1977	300
1978	318
1979	339
1980	297
1981	292
1982	288
1983	214
1984	211
1985	213
1986	212
1987	211
1988	192
1989	211
1990	203
1991	201
1992	204
1993	207
1994	156
1995	182
1996	179
1997	166
1998	172
1999	158
2000	192
2001	165
2002	193
2003	161
2004	181
2005	167
2006	193
2007	193
2008	155
2009	149
2010	153
2011	149
2012	134
2013	142
2014	140
2015	118
2016	122
2017	131
2018	148
2019	161
2020	169
2021	216
2022	211
2023	209
2024	265