boy's name
Bennett
BEN-it
- Origin Latin
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 7
- Popularity Top 100 (US)
- Births on record 81,626
the United States
#40
2025 births
Bennett is a boy's name of Latin origin meaning "blessed," the medieval English form of Benedict, from benedictus. It reached England through the monastic tradition founded by Saint Benedict, whose Rule shaped Western monasticism for centuries.
- Bennett is a name of Latin origin.
- Peaked in 2025, when 6,558 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 506 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Bennett over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 129 |
| 1890s | 118 |
| 1900s | 153 |
| 1910s | 688 |
| 1920s | 1,016 |
| 1930s | 948 |
| 1940s | 1,143 |
| 1950s | 1,847 |
| 1960s | 1,626 |
| 1970s | 797 |
| 1980s | 1,593 |
| 1990s | 3,113 |
| 2000s | 7,416 |
| 2010s | 25,804 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 28,463 |
What Bennett means
Bennett means blessed, from the Latin benedictus, literally "well spoken of" — bene, well, and dicere, to speak. The sense of blessing comes from the idea of speaking well of someone, the same construction behind the English word benediction.
Where Bennett comes from
Bennett is the medieval English vernacular form of Benedict, from the Latin Benedictus, meaning blessed. Its spread follows Saint Benedict of Nursia, the sixth-century monk whose Rule became the foundation of Western monasticism; Benedictine houses across medieval England kept the name in constant circulation, and the ordinary spoken form was Bennett rather than the formal Latin. It hardened into a surname in that form during the medieval period, which is why Bennett survives as both surname and given name today, while Benedict remained the more formal ecclesiastical version. Sixteen popes have taken the name Benedict.
Bennett in use
Bennett was simply how ordinary English speakers said Benedict, long before it was a surname.
How popular is Bennett?
In 2025, Bennett was given to 6,558 babies in the United States, ranking #40 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Where Bennett is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Bennett
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Bennett also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Bennett over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
3 nicknames for Bennett
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Bennett in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Bennett
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Bennett — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Bennett
What does the name Bennett mean?
Bennett means "blessed," from the Latin benedictus.
Is Bennett related to Benedict?
Yes. Bennett is the medieval English spoken form of Benedict.
What are nicknames for Bennett?
Ben and Benny are the most common short forms.
How popular is the name Bennett?
In 2025, Bennett was given to 6,558 babies in the United States, ranking #40 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Is Bennett a girl's or a boy's name?
Bennett is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Bennett?
Bennett has 2 syllables.
When was Bennett most popular?
Bennett peaked in 2025, when 6,558 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
Is Bennett a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Bennett currently ranks #40 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.