Sonny
Boy name · #298 in 2025 · Uniqueness 21/100
In 2025, 1,137 baby boys were named Sonny, placing it at #298 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #822, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 1,583 boys born in 2025 was named Sonny.
The 137-year story
Sonny first appears in the Social Security records in 1888, when 7 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2025, with 1,137 babies and a rank of #298. 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.
Babies named Sonny per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Sonny against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Sonny in class?
Sonny scores 21 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "popular" band. A low score means broad familiarity: teachers will spell it right, and your child may share it with a classmate. For many families that's a feature, not a bug.
Where Sonny is most common
Geography matters for names, and Sonny is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Sonnys were CA (147), TX (81), NY (76), FL (55), OH (53). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
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 Sunny, Shiloh, Rory, Sutton, and Archie.
SunnyShilohRorySuttonArchieSantinoSaintCyrus
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Sonny | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,137 | #298 |
| 2024 | 1,037 | #336 |
| 2023 | 929 | #354 |
| 2022 | 725 | #428 |
| 2021 | 589 | #498 |
| 2020 | 527 | #534 |
| 2019 | 417 | #644 |
| 2018 | 382 | #661 |
| 2017 | 303 | #773 |
| 2016 | 268 | #842 |
| 2015 | 275 | #822 |
| 2014 | 243 | #888 |
| 2013 | 252 | #845 |
| 2012 | 222 | #925 |
| 2011 | 232 | #889 |
| 2010 | 212 | #946 |
| 2009 | 248 | #860 |
| 2008 | 247 | #861 |
| 2007 | 240 | #865 |
| 2006 | 225 | #877 |
| 2005 | 241 | #799 |
| 2004 | 212 | #838 |
| 2003 | 231 | #764 |
| 2002 | 209 | #811 |
| 2001 | 196 | #829 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Sonny a popular boy name?
Sonny ranked #298 among boys in 2025 with 1,137 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #822.
When was the name Sonny most popular?
Sonny peaked in 2025, when 1,137 American boys received the name (ranked #298 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 1,583 newborn American boys was named Sonny. It scores 21/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "popular".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.