Total births
37,842
Girls' name · since 1888
Bonita
Since 1888, U.S. Social Security records show 37,842 babies named Bonita, peaking in 1950. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #7270
- among girls today
- 37,842
- born since 1888
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 59%
- more common than other girls
Bonita currently ranks #7270 among girls' names in America, with 37,842 babies recorded since 1888.
Bonita has 37,842 recorded births among girls since 1888, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #7270 as of the latest data, more common than 59% of girls, busiest in the 1950s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1888 to 2025.
- #7270 among girls today
- 37,842 born since 1888
- 1950s peak decade
- 59% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Bonita is currently the #7270 girls' name in America, more common than 59% of girls - 37,842 born since 1888, peaking in the 1950s.
- #7270
- among girls today
- 37,842
- born since 1888
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 59%
- more common than other girls
Bonita vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#7270
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 59% of names given to girls today.
1950s
Peak decade
32% of everyone ever named Bonita was born in this single decade.
1950
Single peak year
1,528 babies were named Bonita in 1950 - its busiest year on record.
How Bonita compares
37,842 Top 4% higher than 96% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Bonita's all-time total is 99x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Bonita | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 37,842 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 1,528 | 48 | 19,840 |
Bonita's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Bonita's SSA record in two at 1960 and the more recent half accounts for 27% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 73%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 1892, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1950 peak of 1,528, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Bonita at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1950
Current rank
#7,270
Active since
1888
Bonita popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1888–2025
- Peak year (1950)
- 1,528
- Annual births at peak, across 138 years of records
Bonita popularity over time - boys
12 total births recorded since 1955 (Bonita as boys' name)
Bonita by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Bonita's strongest decade.
12,076 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 32% of all-time use.
Bonita births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 6
1880s
6 births
- 1890s 35
1890s
35 births
- 1900s 165
1900s
165 births
- 1910s 735
1910s
735 births
- 1920s 1,726
1920s
1,726 births
- 1930s 2,633
1930s
2,633 births
- 1940s
1940s
10,405 births
- 1950s
1950s
12,076 births
- 1960s
1960s
6,587 births
- 1970s 1,718
1970s
1,718 births
- 1980s 885
1980s
885 births
- 1990s 450
1990s
450 births
- 2000s 186
2000s
186 births
- 2010s 149
2010s
149 births
- 2020s 86
2020s
86 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 12,076 births (32% of all-time use).
How Bonita compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Bonita's total volume
Bonita vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Bonita by state
Where Bonita concentrates geographically, total births since 1888
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Pennsylvania | | 3,523 | 9.3% |
| #2 | Ohio | | 2,871 | 7.6% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 2,461 | 6.5% |
| #4 | New York | | 2,077 | 5.5% |
| #5 | Minnesota | | 1,810 | 4.8% |
| #6 | Wisconsin | | 1,445 | 3.8% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 1,363 | 3.6% |
| #8 | Indiana | | 1,321 | 3.5% |
Pennsylvania share of Bonita's total US births 9.3%
Even split
3,523 of 37,842 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 47 reporting states.
Bonita appears in 47 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Bonita? ▼
37,842 babies have been named Bonita since 1888. It currently ranks #7270 among girls. The peak year was 1950 with 1,528 births.
When was Bonita most popular? ▼
Bonita was most popular in the 1950s decade with 12,076 total births. The single peak year was 1950.
Where is Bonita most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Bonita are Pennsylvania (3,523 births), Ohio (2,871 births), Illinois (2,461 births).
How long has the name Bonita been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Bonita since 1888 -- 138 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Bonita? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Bonnie, Bonny, Bonni, Bonna, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Bonita's data
- Bonita's decade-level peak was the 1950s (12,076 total births); usage has since declined to 86 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Pennsylvania records the most Bonitas (3,523 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Pennsylvania 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 Bonita
Nearby Names Like Bonita
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Bonita
Bonnie Girl
#443 328,675 births
Bonny Girl
#13568 6,208 births
Bonni Girl
1,412 births
Bonna Girl
1,080 births
Bonnita Girl
683 births
Compare Bonita side by side: Bonita vs Bonnie Bonita vs Bonny Bonita vs Bonni
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Bonita
Ebba #7269
925 births · Peak 1898
Marvel #7271
5,198 births · Peak 1929
Adalene #7268
708 births · Peak 2015
Jessamine #7272
763 births · Peak 1997
Evah #7267
782 births · Peak 2011
Maryanna #7273
2,620 births · Peak 2005
Carmelita #7266
6,965 births · Peak 1973
Trina #7274
32,568 births · Peak 1970
Data Sources
Data as of June 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, 1888–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Bonita: #7270 Girls' Name - 37,842 Births, Peak 1950." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/bonita. 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 Bonita 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 June 2026.