Boni
Feminine diminutive form of the Latin name Bona meaning "good, kind."
Name Census estimates that about 276 living Americans carry the first name Boni. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Boni today is around 64 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Boni births was 1955 (26 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Boni. 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
276
~ 1 in 1,241,864 Americans
Peak year
1955
26 babies that year
Average age
64
years old
1997 SSA rank
#14,023
Tracked since 1943
Popularity
Boni: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Boni from the 1940s through to the 1990s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1950s, with 148 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1950s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Boni 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 Boni during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Bonis live
Origin
Meaning and history of Boni
The name Boni has its origins in Latin, where it was derived from the word "bonus," meaning "good" or "virtuous." It was initially used as a nickname or diminutive form of names like Boniface or Bonaventure.
In ancient Rome, the name Boni was sometimes given to children as a way of expressing the parents' hope for their child to grow up to be a good and virtuous person. It was also used as a cognomen (a third name) in some Roman families, indicating a positive quality or achievement.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Boni comes from the 3rd century AD, when a Roman poet named Boni Secundus was mentioned in various literary works. However, the name gained more prominence during the Middle Ages, particularly in Italy and other regions with strong Catholic influences.
In the 9th century, Pope Boniface VI, whose birth name was Boni, held the papal office for a brief period in 896 AD. Another notable figure was Boni da Pisa, a 13th-century Italian architect and sculptor who contributed to the construction of several iconic buildings in Pisa, including the famous Leaning Tower.
During the Renaissance period, Boni Boni, an Italian painter from the 16th century, earned recognition for his religious paintings and frescoes in churches across Italy. His works can still be admired in various cities, including Rome and Venice.
In the realm of literature, Boni Mauri was a 15th-century Italian humanist and scholar who wrote several influential works on rhetoric and classical literature. His contributions helped shape the intellectual landscape of the Renaissance period.
Moving forward in time, Boni Castellane was a French aristocrat and socialite in the late 19th century, known for her extravagant lifestyle and involvement in Parisian high society. She was a prominent figure in the cultural and social circles of her time.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who bore the name Boni throughout history, showcasing its enduring presence and the diverse backgrounds of those who carried this name.
People
Boni + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Boni 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
Boni: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Boni?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 276 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Boni 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 1,241,864 US residents.
Is Boni a common name?
We classify Boni as "Very Rare". It ranks above 78.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 368 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Boni most popular?
The single biggest year for Boni was 1955, when 26 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Boni is about 64 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Boni a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Boni 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.