Sullivan
Girl name · #2427 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Sullivan? In official American birth records, Sullivan has been tracked continuously since 1993, giving it 32 years of documented American history.
Sullivan is currently the #2427 girl name in the United States — 74 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #2555, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 24,324 girls born in 2025 was named Sullivan.
The 32-year story
Sullivan first appears in the Social Security records in 1993, when 10 girls received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2024, with 102 babies and a rank of #1942. 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 Sullivan per year. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Sullivan against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Sullivan in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Sullivan is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Sullivan will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Sullivan is most common
State-level data for Sullivan 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 Sullivan
Statistically, parents drawn to Sullivan tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Morrigan, Scotlynn, Razan, Callahan, and Mulan.
MorriganScotlynnRazanCallahanMulanScarlethScottlynnSeven
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Sullivan | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 74 | #2410 |
| 2024 | 102 | #1942 |
| 2023 | 85 | #2210 |
| 2022 | 87 | #2174 |
| 2021 | 81 | #2266 |
| 2020 | 77 | #2302 |
| 2019 | 74 | #2400 |
| 2018 | 83 | #2217 |
| 2017 | 91 | #2108 |
| 2016 | 80 | #2343 |
| 2015 | 70 | #2555 |
| 2014 | 49 | #3272 |
| 2013 | 53 | #3076 |
| 2012 | 48 | #3364 |
| 2011 | 29 | #4807 |
| 2010 | 28 | #4974 |
| 2009 | 38 | #4013 |
| 2008 | 22 | #6130 |
| 2007 | 37 | #4131 |
| 2006 | 29 | #4811 |
| 2005 | 22 | #5600 |
| 2004 | 18 | #6489 |
| 2003 | 20 | #5795 |
| 2002 | 29 | #4280 |
| 2001 | 13 | #7724 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Sullivan?
In official American birth records, the name Sullivan first appeared in 1993 (over 32 years ago), when 10 newborn girls received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 32 years.
Is Sullivan a popular girl name?
Sullivan ranked #2427 among girls in 2025 with 74 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #2555.
When was the name Sullivan most popular?
Sullivan peaked in 2024, when 102 American girls received the name (ranked #1942 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Sullivan?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 24,324 newborn American girls was named Sullivan. 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.