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.
- #19,349 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 209
- born since 1938
- 1950s
- peak 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.
- #19,349 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 209 born since 1938
- 1950s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Benay ranks #19,349 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 209 born since 1938, peaking in the 1950s.
- #19,349 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 209
- born since 1938
- 1950s
- peak decade
Benay's 209 recorded births place it above 73.19% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 1 jurisdictions, led by New York.
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 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
1950s is the heaviest window (78 births, 37% of the file).
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% |
11 of 209 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
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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
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
Compare Benay side by side: Benay vs Benita Benay vs Bennie Benay vs Bentley
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Benay: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1954)
Similar record span (~33 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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).
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 August 2026.