Benny first name popularity, history and meaning

Find out how popular the first name Benny has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Meaning of Benny

Short form of the old German name Benedikt, meaning "blessed".

Popularity of Benny by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Benny is more commonly used as a male name, with approximately 99% of people named Benny being male.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 209 male babies and 9 female babies born with the name Benny.

Yes—according to the SSA data, 9 baby girls were named Benny in 2023, despite it being a predominantly male name. We'd love to know why!

Year Male Count Female Count
2023 209 9
2022 209 11
2021 216 6
2020 169 6
2019 161 0
2018 147 0
2017 131 0
2016 121 0
2015 118 5
2014 140 5
2013 142 0
2012 134 0
2011 149 0
2010 153 0
2009 149 0
2008 155 0
2007 193 0
2006 193 0
2005 167 0
2004 180 0
2003 161 0
2002 193 0
2001 165 0
2000 192 0
1999 158 0
1998 172 0
1997 166 0
1996 179 0
1995 182 0
1994 156 0
1993 207 0
1992 204 0
1991 201 0
1990 203 0
1989 211 8
1988 192 0
1987 211 0
1986 212 0
1985 213 0
1984 211 0
1983 214 5
1982 288 0
1981 292 0
1980 297 6
1979 339 0
1978 318 6
1977 300 0
1976 286 5
1975 324 5
1974 344 0

The history of the first name Benny

The name Benny is a diminutive form of the name Benjamin, which is derived from the Hebrew name בִּנְיָמִין (Binyamin). The name Benjamin means "son of the right hand" or "son of the south" in Hebrew. It is a biblical name that first appeared in the Old Testament as the name of the youngest son of Jacob and Rachel.

The name Benny emerged as a nickname for Benjamin in the Middle Ages, particularly in English-speaking countries. It was often used as an affectionate or informal form of the name Benjamin.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Benny can be found in the 16th century. In 1560, Benny Whetstone was listed as a resident of Wiltshire, England, in the parish records.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Benny. One of the most famous was Benny Goodman (1909-1986), an American jazz clarinetist and bandleader known as the "King of Swing." He was a leading figure in the Swing era of the 1930s and 1940s and helped popularize jazz music among a wider audience.

Another notable Benny was Benny Hill (1924-1992), an English comedian and actor best known for his long-running comedy television show "The Benny Hill Show." He was renowned for his slapstick humor and often controversial sketches.

In the world of sports, Benny Parsons (1941-2007) was a famous American NASCAR driver who won the NASCAR Championship in 1973. He later worked as a television commentator for NASCAR broadcasts.

Benny Binion (1904-1989) was a notorious American gambling icon and founder of the Horseshoe Casino in Las Vegas. He was influential in the development of the Las Vegas Strip and helped shape the city's gambling industry.

Benny Leonard (1896-1947), also known as "The Ghetto Wizard," was a famous American professional boxer who held the lightweight championship from 1917 to 1925. He was regarded as one of the greatest lightweight boxers of all time.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Benny was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Benny, please contact us.

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Benny first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on October 31, 2024. http://namecensus.com/first-names/benny-meaning-and-history/.

"Benny first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/first-names/benny-meaning-and-history/. Accessed 31 October, 2024

Benny first name popularity, history and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/first-names/benny-meaning-and-history/.

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