Benaiah
Boy name · #1172 in 2025 · Uniqueness 51/100
Benaiah ranks #1172 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 176 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #1416, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 10,227 boys born in 2025 was named Benaiah.
Babies named Benaiah per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
The 49-year story
Benaiah first appears in the Social Security records in 1976, when 7 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2025, with 176 babies and a rank of #1169. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Benaiah against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Benaiah in class?
Benaiah scores 51 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Benaiah is most common
Geography matters for names, and Benaiah is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Benaiahs were TX (19), TN (13), CA (11), AZ (9), CO (7). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Benaiah
Statistically, parents drawn to Benaiah tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Obadiah, Jesiah, Jeriah, Joziah, and Aziah.
ObadiahJesiahJeriahJoziahAziahJessiahMassiahAzariah
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Benaiah | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 176 | #1169 |
| 2024 | 159 | #1243 |
| 2023 | 120 | #1489 |
| 2022 | 133 | #1393 |
| 2021 | 166 | #1182 |
| 2020 | 122 | #1415 |
| 2019 | 158 | #1209 |
| 2018 | 134 | #1343 |
| 2017 | 128 | #1378 |
| 2016 | 128 | #1382 |
| 2015 | 121 | #1416 |
| 2014 | 97 | #1608 |
| 2013 | 87 | #1695 |
| 2012 | 95 | #1626 |
| 2011 | 67 | #2017 |
| 2010 | 61 | #2169 |
| 2009 | 47 | #2623 |
| 2008 | 41 | #2879 |
| 2007 | 40 | #2920 |
| 2006 | 35 | #3083 |
| 2005 | 26 | #3615 |
| 2004 | 16 | #5007 |
| 2003 | 17 | #4616 |
| 2002 | 16 | #4703 |
| 2001 | 13 | #5390 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Benaiah a popular boy name?
Benaiah ranked #1172 among boys in 2025 with 176 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1416.
When was the name Benaiah most popular?
Benaiah peaked in 2025, when 176 American boys received the name (ranked #1169 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Benaiah?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 10,227 newborn American boys was named Benaiah. It scores 51/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.