How Many People Are Named Bonita?
An estimated 22,329 people in the United States have the first name Bonita. It is almost exclusively a female name. The average bearer is 68 years old, and Bonita peaked in popularity in 1950 with 1,528 births that year.
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Bonita as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, state-by-state birth registrations, and, when available, a 2020 Census snapshot showing who had the name at that point in time. You can also check how many people share the full name Bonita paired with any surname.
Key Insights
- With an average bearer age of 68, Bonita is a vintage name most associated with earlier generations. Most living bearers were born before 1968.
- Bonita has fallen dramatically from its peak in the 1950s. Recent registrations are less than 5% of what they were at the name's height.
Estimated Living Americans
22,329
About 1 in 15,350 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Uncommon
Predicted Gender
Female
100.0% confidence
Average Age
68
years old
Peak Year
1950
1,528 births
Total Registered
37,842
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Bonita
Bonita is almost exclusively a female name. Out of 37,842 total births registered, 100.0% were female.
Bonita as a male name
Ranked #3,686 in 1961
6 male births in 1961
Peak: 1955 (6 births)
Bonita as a female name
Ranked #7,633 in 2024
14 female births in 2024
Peak: 1950 (1,528 births)
Bonita in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 27,867 people with the first name Bonita, which placed it at #1,310 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The estimated living count elsewhere on this page is different: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two figures are not expected to match exactly.
Read this section as a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The SSA charts elsewhere on this page are still the better way to see how the name rose, fell, or shifted across generations.
Gender in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, Bonita was recorded as predominantly female. Out of 27,867 people with this name in that snapshot, 0.1% were male and 99.9% were female. That is very close to the long-run birth pattern in SSA records, where the name is female 100.0% of the time.
Census Count
27,867
people with this name
Census Rank
#1,310
among Census first names
Frequency Rate
9.23
per 100,000 people
Recorded Race and Hispanic Origin in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, the first name Bonita was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (74.25%). The next largest recorded groups were Black (18.40%) and Hispanic (3.03%).
These percentages describe the people who had the first name Bonita in the 2020 Census. They do not tell you the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
2020 Census demographic breakdown
Each row shows a recorded Census category for people with the first name Bonita.
| Group | Share | Count |
|---|---|---|
| White | 74.25% | 20,690 |
| Black | 18.40% | 5,128 |
| Hispanic | 3.03% | 843 |
| Two or More Races | 2.42% | 673 |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.98% | 272 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.93% | 258 |
The Census published separate sex and race/origin tables for first names, so their total counts can differ slightly for the same name. That is why the race section focuses on the demographic mix rather than repeating a second headline count.
Bonita: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Bonita span from the 1880s to the 2020s, covering 15 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 1950s, when 12,082 babies were registered. Bonita has declined significantly from its peak in the 1950s. Recent registrations are a fraction of what they were at the name's height.
Bonita by Decade
How has Bonita tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.
Bonita by State
Birth registrations for Bonita span all 47 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois. The lowest are in Rhode Island, New Mexico, Utah. On average, about 720 Bonitas were registered per state.
Bonita + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Bonita as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Bonita
Other first names starting with B with a similar number of bearers.
Bonita: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Bonita?
We estimate approximately 22,329 people named Bonita are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 15,350 Americans share this first name.
Is Bonita a common name?
Bonita is classified as "Uncommon" and is more popular than 98.6% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 37,842 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Bonita most popular?
Bonita reached peak popularity in 1950, when 1,528 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Bonita is approximately 68 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
How common was Bonita in the 2020 Census?
The 2020 Census recorded 27,867 people with the first name Bonita. That placed it at #1,310 in the published Census first-name tables, or 9.23 people per 100,000.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census number is a count of people with the name in 2020. The living estimate is a current model based on SSA birth records and survival rates, so it aims to estimate how many people with the name are alive now.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The popularity chart tracks birth registrations, not people currently alive. It shows how often Bonita was given to babies from 1880 through 2024, which is why it is the best tool on the page for seeing long-run naming trends.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Bonita?
In the 2020 Census snapshot, Bonita was recorded as predominantly female. The published split was 0.1% male and 99.9% female.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Bonita?
In the 2020 Census, the first name Bonita was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (74.25%). The next largest recorded groups were Black (18.40%) and Hispanic (3.03%). These percentages describe the people who had the name in the 2020 Census, not the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census published separate first-name tables for sex and for race and Hispanic origin. Those totals can differ slightly for the same name, so the page uses them as two related snapshots rather than treating them as perfectly interchangeable counts.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name tables only include names that met the Bureau's publication rules. That means some names on this site will have SSA history but no published Census demographic snapshot.
Is Bonita a female name?
Bonita is predominantly female. 100.0% of people with this name are female. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
Why can Bonita have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because a name can build up a large population over many decades. Bonita peaked in 1950, and the average living bearer is about 68 years old, so a name can still have millions of living bearers even after it stops feeling current for newborns.
How many Bonita Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Bonita Smith, Bonita Johnson, Bonita Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.
Where does this data come from?
Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.
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