Soleil
Soleil was the 758th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 358 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 1,071 places. More babies were named Soleil in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Meaning sun (French) · French, Latin
Say it soh-LAY /soʊˈleɪ/
- Rank in 2025
- #758 girls, up 441 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 358girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2025358 babies
- Total since 1880
- 5,172babies recorded
What does the name Soleil mean?
Soleil is the French word for 'sun'. It comes from Vulgar Latin soliculus 'little sun', a diminutive of Latin sōl 'sun'. As a given name it is modern, used in the US since the early 1980s, when the child actress Soleil Moon Frye starred in the TV series Punky Brewster (1984).
soleil (French, “sun”)sōl (Latin, “sun”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Pronunciation: French: so-LAY with a final y-glide (/sɔ.lɛj/).
Related names: Sol, Solana, Soleia.
See also: French names, names that mean sky, star, moon or sun.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Soleil' (French section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Wiktionary, entry 'soleil' (French section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (our computation), SSA (public domain)
Soleil popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 42 since 2019, 12 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #758 | 358 |
| 2020 | #1,199 | 192 |
| 2010 | #1,239 | 195 |
| 2000 | #1,897 | 90 |
| 1990 | #4,675 | 21 |
| 1980 | — | — |
| 1970 | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Soleil, counting every spelling?
Soleil has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #766 for girls in 2025, against #758 on the official list, because Kaylin/Kaylynn/Kailyn and Jayleen/Jaylene/Jaelynn and Carly/Karlee/Carlee move ahead once their spellings are combined.
How many kids will share the name Soleil?
358 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Soleil (0.10 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Soleil born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 23 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Soleil.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Soleil?
About 5,100 people born in the US named Soleil are alive today, with a median age of 12; half are between 5 and 19. That makes Soleil a young name: most people with it are children.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Soleil by state
How common Soleil was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Nevada (2.7×), California (2.1×), Florida (1.9×), New York (1.8×), Massachusetts (1.7×). In 24 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Soleil: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Soleil, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Soleil · Sibling names for Soleil
Questions about the name Soleil
What does Soleil mean?
Soleil means “sun (French)” (French, Latin origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Soleil?
Soleil was the 758th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 358 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 1,071 places. More babies were named Soleil in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Is Soleil a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Soleil in the US.
Where is Soleil most popular?
In 2021–2025, Soleil was most common in Hawaii (0.52 per 1,000 girls), followed by Nevada and Rhode Island.