Holding steady, #12,008 for boys today.
Popularity of Bon since 1926
Babies named Bon per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1920s | 13 |
| 1930s | 25 |
| 1940s | 5 |
| 1950s | 5 |
| 1960s | 0 |
| 1970s | 6 |
| 1980s | 81 |
| 1990s | 85 |
| 2000s | 33 |
| 2010s | 16 |
| 2020s | 5 |
Meaning & origin
An extremely rare given name in the United States, Bon first entered birth records in 1926 and has remained consistently uncommon ever since. Its trajectory is stable, with no significant resurgence. The name's peak year of usage was 1988, when it still ranked well outside the top 10,000. The origins of Bon are unclear; it may have emerged as a nickname for Boniface or as a surname-based given name. Its top states of usage are not recorded due to its scarcity, indicating it appears in small numbers across the country rather than concentrating in any region. With just 1 in over 341,000 boys receiving the name in 2025, Bon remains one of the most distinctive and rarely used names in American records.
Bon is a rare given name of modern usage, likely originating as a short form of Boniface (from Latin 'bonifacius' meaning 'good fate') or as a transferred use of the surname Bon, itself derived from the French word for 'good'. It may also be an Anglicized form of the Korean surname 'Bon' or a respelling of the Scottish name 'Boon'. The name first appeared in U.S. records in 1926 and has consistently ranked among the least common names.
Sibling names for Bon
Names that share Bon's style, for a brother or sister.
