Bambi
A girl's name of Italian origin with 5,244 recorded U.S. births.
Meaning & Origin
A female given name.
Bambi is a girl's baby name of Italian origin, a diminutive of bambina meaning 'little girl' or 'baby.' It gained global recognition through Felix Salten's 1923 Austrian novel Bambi, A Life in the Woods, later made famous by Disney's 1942 animated film — giving the name associations with innocence, nature, and gentle beauty.
Playful and tender, Bambi is a name that carries a whole forest of childhood memory — chosen by parents who love its softness, its whimsy, and its reminder that the world begins in wonder.
EtymologyShow more
Bambi is cataloged under the Italian naming tradition. Names from the Italian tradition carry linguistic and cultural patterns that shape their sound, structure, and associations.
In the U.S., Bambi has been recorded as a girl's name since 1943, with 5,244 total births. Browse the Italian names hub on this site to explore the broader family.
At a Glance
Popularity Over Time
Bambi climbed 6095 spots in the last 20 years — from #16463 to #10368.
Popularity by Decade
| Decade | Births | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 43 | — |
| 2010s | 44 | ▲ |
| 2000s | 30 | ▼ |
| 1990s | 92 | ▼ |
| 1980s | 1,045 | ▼ |
| 1970s | 1,356 | ▲ |
| 1960s | 1,294 | ▲ |
| 1950s | 1,275 | ▲ |
| 1940s | 65 | — |
The Story of Bambi
A Gen X name
Peaking in 1979, Bambi is a Gen X staple. Girls named Bambi are most likely born between 1969 and 1989.
How rare is Bambi?
Only about 1 in every 400,000 babies born in 2024 was named Bambi — a truly uncommon choice.
The journey through the decades
First appeared in the records in 1943, grew steadily over the decades, peaked in the 1970s with 1,356 births that decade, and has since become a rare, vintage choice.
Bambi by the numbers
- Would fill 109 school buses
- Meeting one Bambi per day would take 14.4 years
Year-by-Year Data
View complete yearly data(73 years, 1943–2024)
| Year | Births | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 9 | #10368 |
| 2023 | 14 | #7699 |
| 2022 | 8 | #11371 |
| 2021 | 12 | #8544 |
| 2019 | 9 | #10602 |
| 2018 | 6 | #14054 |
| 2017 | 7 | #12924 |
| 2016 | 5 | #16632 |
| 2014 | 5 | #16952 |
| 2013 | 6 | #14894 |
| 2012 | 6 | #15254 |
| 2008 | 7 | #14063 |
| 2005 | 8 | #11998 |
| 2004 | 5 | #16463 |
| 2003 | 5 | #16117 |
| 2000 | 5 | #15363 |
| 1999 | 5 | #14695 |
| 1998 | 5 | #14420 |
| 1997 | 5 | #14001 |
| 1996 | 6 | #12014 |
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration. Showing years with 5+ recorded births.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Explore More
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration, 1943–2024