Total births
209
Girls' name · since 1938
Benay
Benay has 209 recorded births since 1938 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1954 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- 209
- total births
- 1938–1971
- years on record
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 37%
- born in that decade
Benay sits outside today's top ranks for girls, with 209 recorded since 1938.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Benay has been recorded 209 times among girls since 1938, though it is not among the currently most-used girls names, with its heaviest use in the 1950s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1938 to 1971.
- 209 total births
- 1938–1971 years on record
- 1950s peak decade
- 37% born in that decade
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
209 girls have been named Benay since 1938, peaking in the 1950s, last recorded in 1971.
- 209
- total births
- 1938–1971
- years on record
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 37%
- born in that decade
1950s
Peak decade
37% of everyone ever named Benay was born in this single decade.
1954
Single peak year
14 babies were named Benay in 1954 - its busiest year on record.
Benay's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Benay's full recorded timeline at 1954, 53% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 47% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1941, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1954 peak of 14 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Benay at a glance
Last recorded 1971Peak year
1954
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1938
Benay popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1938–1971
- Peak year (1954)
- 14
- Annual births at peak, across 34 years of records
Benay by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Benay's strongest decade.
78 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 37% of all-time use.
Benay births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1930s 6
1930s
6 births
- 1940s
1940s
65 births
- 1950s
1950s
78 births
- 1960s
1960s
54 births
- 1970s 6
1970s
6 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 78 births (37% of all-time use).
Benay by state
Where Benay concentrates geographically, total births since 1938
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 11 | 5.3% |
New York share of Benay's total US births 5.3%
11 of 209 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Benay? ▼
Benay has been given to 209 babies in the U.S. since 1938, according to SSA data. Its last appearance in the data was 1971. 14 babies were born in 1954, its single highest year.
When was Benay most popular? ▼
Benay was most popular in the 1950s decade with 78 total births. The single peak year was 1954.
Where is Benay most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Benay are New York (11 births).
How long has the name Benay been used? ▼
Records for Benay go back to 1938, giving 34 years of history through 1971.
What names are similar to Benay? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Benita, Bennie, Bentley, Benjamin, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Benay's data
- Benay's decade-level peak was the 1950s (78 total births); usage has since declined to 6 in the 1970s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Benays (11 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Benay
Nearby Names Like Benay
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Benay
Benita Girl
#11148 13,669 births
Bennie Girl
#4895 9,936 births
Bentley Girl
#1704 3,535 births
Benjamin Girl
#13577 2,482 births
Bennett Girl
#1064 2,340 births
Compare Benay side by side: Benay vs Benita Benay vs Bennie Benay vs Bentley
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Data Sources
Data as of July 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1938–1971 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Benay: Baby Name Since 1938 - 209 Births, Peak 1954." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/benay. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Benay draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of July 2026.