Sonny
Girl name · #3009 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Sonny? In official American birth records, Sonny has been tracked continuously since 1942, giving it 83 years of documented American history.
Sonny is currently the #3009 girl name in the United States — 55 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #5127, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 32,727 girls born in 2025 was named Sonny.
Babies named Sonny per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 83-year story
Sonny first appears in the Social Security records in 1942, when 6 girls received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2023, with 66 babies and a rank of #2646. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Sonny against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Sonny in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Sonny is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Sonny will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Sonny is most common
State-level data for Sonny is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Sonny
Statistically, parents drawn to Sonny tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Lenny, Henny, Anny, Alanny, and Brianny.
LennyHennyAnnyAlannyBriannyDariannyEliannyChany
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Sonny | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 55 | #2998 |
| 2024 | 62 | #2749 |
| 2023 | 66 | #2646 |
| 2022 | 49 | #3278 |
| 2021 | 53 | #3069 |
| 2020 | 48 | #3221 |
| 2019 | 37 | #3923 |
| 2018 | 33 | #4237 |
| 2017 | 30 | #4576 |
| 2016 | 18 | #6663 |
| 2015 | 26 | #5127 |
| 2014 | 16 | #7302 |
| 2013 | 13 | #8580 |
| 2012 | 19 | #6576 |
| 2011 | 22 | #5935 |
| 2010 | 18 | #6904 |
| 2009 | 12 | #9379 |
| 2008 | 11 | #10084 |
| 2007 | 9 | #11630 |
| 2006 | 12 | #9286 |
| 2005 | 9 | #10921 |
| 2004 | 10 | #9892 |
| 2003 | 10 | #9671 |
| 2002 | 11 | #8837 |
| 2001 | 9 | #10102 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Sonny?
In official American birth records, the name Sonny first appeared in 1942 (over 83 years ago), when 6 newborn girls received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 83 years.
Is Sonny a popular girl name?
Sonny ranked #3009 among girls in 2025 with 55 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #5127.
When was the name Sonny most popular?
Sonny peaked in 2023, when 66 American girls received the name (ranked #2646 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Sonny?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 32,727 newborn American girls was named Sonny. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.