Benita
The Spanish feminine form of Benito, which descends from the Latin Benedictus, "blessed." It carries the same root as the English Benedict.
Benita in 2025
Benita was given to 11 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 15,243rd most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 301,395 babies born.
The history of Benita
Benita reached its highest point in 1961, when 480 babies were given the name, ranking 799th that year. Its best-ever ranking was 794th, in 1960.
Across the 137 years of records since 1889, 13,669 babies have been named Benita. Half of them were born before 1961, which places the name's centre of gravity with the Baby Boomers.
Benita by decade
| Decade | Babies named Benita | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 5 | 2,129 |
| 1890s | 46 | 1,767 |
| 1900s | 92 | 1,595 |
| 1910s | 422 | 1,318 |
| 1920s | 668 | 1,357 |
| 1930s | 1,069 | 1,015 |
| 1940s | 1,117 | 1,073 |
| 1950s | 2,889 | 873 |
| 1960s | 3,720 | 794 |
| 1970s | 1,771 | 1,063 |
| 1980s | 949 | 1,819 |
| 1990s | 474 | 3,070 |
| 2000s | 221 | 7,354 |
| 2010s | 149 | 9,673 |
| 2020s | 77 | 10,249 |
Where Benita is heading
Benita has fallen 50% over the past decade, from 22 babies in 2015 to 11 in 2025.
That is less than 5% of its 1961 peak — Benita is now a rare name in the United States.
Names like Benita
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Benita.