Bonney
A feminine given name of French origin meaning "pretty, good".
Name Census estimates that about 284 living Americans carry the first name Bonney. It is a predominantly female name (98.9% of registrations). The average person named Bonney today is around 66 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Bonney births was 1950 (21 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Bonney. 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.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Bonney is about 66 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Bonneys were born before 1970.
People living today
284
~ 1 in 1,206,881 Americans
Peak year
1950
21 babies that year
Average age
66
years old
1942 SSA rank
#3,621
Tracked since 1918
Gender
Gender distribution for Bonney
Bonney leans heavily female at 98.9% of total registrations, but 5 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Bonney as a male name
- Ranked #3,621 in 1942
- 5 male births in 1942
- Peak: 1942 (5 births)
Bonney as a female name
- Ranked #12,611 in 1989
- 5 female births in 1989
- Peak: 1950 (21 births)
Popularity
Bonney: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Bonney from the 1910s through to the 1980s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1950s, with 144 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
Bonney 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 Bonney during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Bonney
The name Bonney is believed to have originated from the Old French word "bon", meaning "good" or "pleasant". It is thought to have been a nickname or a descriptive name given to someone with a cheerful or good-natured disposition.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Bonney can be traced back to the 12th century in England, where it appeared as a surname for someone who was considered a pleasant or agreeable person. Over time, the name transitioned into a given name, particularly in English-speaking countries.
In terms of historical references, the name Bonney does not seem to have any significant mentions in ancient texts or religious scriptures. However, there are several notable individuals who have borne this name throughout history.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Bonney was William Bonney, also known as Billy the Kid, an American outlaw and gunfighter of the American Old West. He was born Henry McCarty in 1859 and was later known as William H. Bonney, earning the nickname "Billy the Kid" due to his youthful age and violent exploits.
Another notable figure was Bonney Burlingham, an American businessman and philanthropist who lived from 1888 to 1962. He was a co-founder of the investment banking firm Kuhn, Loeb & Co. and played a significant role in the development of the railroad industry in the United States.
Bonney Lake was a British architect and surveyor who lived from 1744 to 1828. He is known for his work on the construction of the Regent's Canal in London and his contributions to the development of the Grand Union Canal.
Bonney Hartley was an American actress and singer who lived from 1888 to 1954. She had a successful career on Broadway and in vaudeville, and was known for her performances in several musicals and plays.
Bonney Fields was an American artist and painter who lived from 1923 to 1995. She was known for her abstract expressionist paintings and her contributions to the Abstract Expressionist movement in the United States.
While the name Bonney may not have a long and storied history, it has been borne by several notable individuals throughout the centuries, each leaving their mark in various fields ranging from art and entertainment to business and architecture.
People
Bonney + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Bonney 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
Bonney: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Bonney?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 284 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Bonney 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 1,206,881 US residents.
Is Bonney a common name?
We classify Bonney as "Very Rare". It ranks above 78.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 452 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Bonney most popular?
The single biggest year for Bonney was 1950, when 21 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Bonney is about 66 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Bonney a female name?
Yes, 98.9% of people registered as Bonney 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.