Bonnie
Girl name · #396 in 2025 · Distinctive
How old is the name Bonnie? In official American birth records, Bonnie has been tracked continuously since 1880, giving it 145 years of documented American history.
Bonnie is currently the #396 girl name in the United States — 785 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #863, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 2,293 girls born in 2025 was named Bonnie.
Babies named Bonnie per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 145-year story
Bonnie first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 14 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1947, when 10,214 girls were named Bonnie — good for #35 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Bonnie against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Bonnie in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Bonnie is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "distinctive". That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Bonnie is most common
Geography matters for names, and Bonnie is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Bonnie is most common in MT (3.9 per 1,000), ID (1.8 per 1,000), AL (1.5 per 1,000), MS (1.5 per 1,000), KS (1.4 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.6 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Bonnie is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Bonnie
Statistically, parents drawn to Bonnie tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Janie, Elaine, Billie, Julie, and Leslie.
JanieElaineBillieJulieLeslieEileenBarbaraMartha
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Bonnie | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 785 | #396 |
| 2024 | 704 | #443 |
| 2023 | 607 | #502 |
| 2022 | 592 | #527 |
| 2021 | 604 | #512 |
| 2020 | 481 | #606 |
| 2019 | 450 | #646 |
| 2018 | 420 | #691 |
| 2017 | 416 | #699 |
| 2016 | 312 | #897 |
| 2015 | 323 | #863 |
| 2014 | 318 | #866 |
| 2013 | 237 | #1044 |
| 2012 | 225 | #1096 |
| 2011 | 222 | #1111 |
| 2010 | 189 | #1263 |
| 2009 | 173 | #1374 |
| 2008 | 184 | #1334 |
| 2007 | 168 | #1415 |
| 2006 | 186 | #1281 |
| 2005 | 190 | #1203 |
| 2004 | 201 | #1135 |
| 2003 | 248 | #945 |
| 2002 | 219 | #1002 |
| 2001 | 255 | #895 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Bonnie?
In official American birth records, the name Bonnie first appeared in 1880 (over 145 years ago), when 14 newborn girls received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Bonnie a popular girl name?
Bonnie ranked #396 among girls in 2025 with 785 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #863.
When was the name Bonnie most popular?
Bonnie peaked in 1947, when 10,214 American girls received the name (ranked #35 that year). Since 1947 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Bonnie?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 2,293 newborn American girls was named Bonnie. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "distinctive".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.