Where does the name Bonnie come from?

Bonnie is a girl name of Scots origin.

Is Bonnie a boy or a girl name?

Bonnie is used for both. In U.S. Social Security records, about 99% of children given the name Bonnie are girls and 1% are boys.

How popular is the name Bonnie in 2023?

Bonnie ranks #502 for girls in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 1947 with 10,285 babies.

How do you pronounce Bonnie?

Bonnie is pronounced BON-ee (2 syllables).

What are common spellings of Bonnie?

Bonnie is also written as Bonny, Boni, Bonita.

A name from Scots · Girl

Bonnie

From the Scots adjective bonnie meaning 'pretty', 'cheerful', or 'good' — ultimately from Old French bon ('good'). Used as a given name in Scotland and America since the 19th century.

Compare

Popularity over time

A 143-year arc in numbers.

327,186 U.S. births recorded from 1880–2023.

Popularity · 1880–2023

612 births in 2023

1880 1951 2023

Babies named per year Peak year Most recent

Meaning

A name that means something.

BFrom the Scots adjective bonnie meaning 'pretty', 'cheerful', or 'good' — ultimately from Old French bon ('good'). Used as a given name in Scotland and America since the 19th century.

Variants & spellings

3 ways to spell "Bonnie".

Each transliteration carries a slightly different cultural fingerprint.

Bonny Most common Boni Bonita

Famous bearers

People who carry the name Bonnie.

B
Bonnie Parker (of Bonnie and Clyde)
B
Bonnie Raitt (musician)
B
Bonnie Tyler (singer)

Quick answers

People often ask about Bonnie.

What does the name Bonnie mean?: Bonnie means from the Scots adjective bonnie meaning 'pretty', 'cheerful', or 'good' — ultimately from Old French bon ('good'). Used as a given name in Scotland and America since the 19th century.
Where does the name Bonnie come from?: Bonnie is a girl name of Scots origin.
Is Bonnie a boy or a girl name?: Bonnie is used for both. In U.S. Social Security records, about 99% of children given the name Bonnie are girls and 1% are boys.
How popular is the name Bonnie in 2023?: Bonnie ranks #502 for girls in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 1947 with 10,285 babies.
How do you pronounce Bonnie?: Bonnie is pronounced BON-ee (2 syllables).
What are common spellings of Bonnie?: Bonnie is also written as Bonny, Boni, Bonita.

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About this page

Popularity counts come from the U.S. Social Security Administration's national dataset. Meanings and origins are curated from etymological sources. If you spot an error, please let us know.