Binta
An African name meaning "daughter" or "girl".
Name Census estimates that about 576 living Americans carry the first name Binta. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Binta today is around 19 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Binta births was 2007 (28 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Binta. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
576
~ 1 in 595,060 Americans
Peak year
2007
28 babies that year
Average age
19
years old
2024 SSA rank
#6,408
Tracked since 1972
Popularity
Binta: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Binta from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 180 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2000s peak, Binta remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Binta by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Binta during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Bintas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. New York, Washington, Ohio recorded the most babies named Binta, while Ohio, Washington, New York recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 45 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Binta
The name Binta has its origins in the Wolof language spoken in Senegal and parts of Mauritania. It is believed to have emerged sometime around the 11th century during the spread of Islam in West Africa. The name is derived from the Arabic word "bint," which means "daughter" or "girl."
In the Wolof culture, Binta was a popular name given to baby girls, signifying their status as a cherished daughter within the family and community. The name's enduring popularity can be traced back to the Jolof Empire, a powerful West African kingdom that existed from the 14th to the 16th century.
Binta is mentioned in several historical records and oral traditions from the region, often associated with notable figures or events. One such reference is found in the Epic of Sonja, a famous Wolof legend that recounts the heroic deeds of a warrior princess named Binta Sonja.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Binta can be found in genealogical records and historical documents from the 16th century. Some notable individuals who bore this name include:
1. Binta Sarr (c. 1550-1620), a respected Wolof matriarch and advisor to the king of the Jolof Empire.
2. Binta Talla Mbaye (1768-1846), a Senegalese griot and oral historian who preserved and transmitted the cultural traditions of her people.
3. Binta Diallo (1890-1975), a pioneering Senegalese educator and advocate for women's rights in education.
4. Binta Mamadou Dieng (1920-2001), a renowned Senegalese artist and sculptor known for her intricate wood carvings.
5. Binta Ndiaye (1936-2022), a celebrated Senegalese singer and performer who popularized traditional Wolof music on an international stage.
Throughout its history, the name Binta has transcended its cultural origins and gained recognition across various parts of West Africa, particularly in countries with significant Muslim populations. It has also been embraced by members of the African diaspora, serving as a connection to their ancestral roots and cultural heritage.
People
Binta + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Binta as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with B
Other first names starting with B with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Binta: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Binta?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 576 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Binta going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 595,060 US residents.
Is Binta a common name?
We classify Binta as "Very Rare". It ranks above 85.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 588 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Binta most popular?
The single biggest year for Binta was 2007, when 28 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Binta is about 19 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Binta a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Binta in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.