Sonny
Sonny was the 298th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 1,137 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 527 places. More babies were named Sonny in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Meaning son (affectionate nickname) · English
Say it SUN-ee /ˈsʌni/
- Rank in 2025
- #298 boys, up 238 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 1,137boys
- Girls and boys
- 6% girls, 94% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20251,137 babies
- Total since 1880
- 23,356babies recorded
What does the name Sonny mean?
Sonny is an affectionate English nickname meaning "son", used for a boy and then as a given name. Wiktionary also lists it as a diminutive of the girl's name Sonia, a Russian pet form of Sofia. In US use it is mostly for boys and often a nickname turned into a formal name.
sunu (Old English, “son”)
How sure is this? Well established.
See also: English names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Sonny', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Sonia', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- CMU Pronouncing Dictionary (cmudict), Carnegie Mellon University
- Dictionary.com Unabridged (based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary), with Collins English Dictionary, s.v. 'sonny', Dictionary.com / Random House / HarperCollins
Sonny popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #3,022 | #298 | 55 | 1,137 |
| 2020 | #3,273 | #536 | 48 | 527 |
| 2010 | #7,181 | #948 | 18 | 212 |
| 2000 | #9,082 | #868 | 11 | 183 |
| 1990 | #6,825 | #651 | 13 | 241 |
| 1980 | #5,207 | #578 | 14 | 221 |
| 1970 | — | #585 | — | 192 |
| 1960 | #7,170 | #647 | 5 | 145 |
| 1950 | — | #632 | — | 120 |
| 1940 | — | #563 | — | 111 |
| 1930 | — | #642 | — | 92 |
| 1920 | — | #1,455 | — | 27 |
| 1910 | — | #1,185 | — | 9 |
| 1900 | — | #728 | — | 13 |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
How popular is Sonny, counting every spelling?
Sonny has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #310 for boys in 2025, against #298 on the official list, because Colson/Kolson/Colsen and Bryan/Brian/Bryon and Kason/Kasen/Casen move ahead once their spellings are combined.
How many kids will share the name Sonny?
1,137 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Sonny (0.32 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Sonny 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 7 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Sonny.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Sonny?
About 18,700 people born in the US named Sonny are alive today, with a median age of 24; half are between 6 and 48. That makes Sonny mostly worn by children and young adults. The wide spread shows a name popular in two different eras.
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.
Sonny by state
How common Sonny was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Hawaii (3.8×), Rhode Island (2.8×), Maine (2.1×), Oregon (2.1×), Utah (2.0×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Mississippi, Georgia, Kansas.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Sonny: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Sonny, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Sonny · Sibling names for Sonny
Questions about the name Sonny
What does Sonny mean?
Sonny means “son (affectionate nickname)” (English origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Sonny?
Sonny was the 298th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 1,137 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 527 places. More babies were named Sonny in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Is Sonny a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 6% girls, 94% boys given the name Sonny in the US.
Where is Sonny most popular?
In 2021–2025, Sonny was most common in Hawaii (1.93 per 1,000 boys), followed by Rhode Island and Maine.