Sultan
Boy name · #1241 in 2025 · Uniqueness 56/100
In 2025, 161 baby boys were named Sultan, placing it at #1241 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #2036, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 11,180 boys born in 2025 was named Sultan.
The 59-year story
Sultan first appears in the Social Security records in 1966, when 9 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2025, with 161 babies and a rank of #1241. 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 Sultan per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Sultan against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Sultan in class?
Sultan scores 56 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Sultan is most common
Geography matters for names, and Sultan is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Sultans were CA (27), NY (17), IL (15), VA (14), TX (13). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Sultan
Statistically, parents drawn to Sultan tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Eitan, Stellan, Safwan, Sulaiman, and Kilian.
EitanStellanSafwanSulaimanKilianTitanSufyanSuleiman
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Sultan | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 161 | #1241 |
| 2024 | 152 | #1290 |
| 2023 | 128 | #1420 |
| 2022 | 145 | #1306 |
| 2021 | 109 | #1583 |
| 2020 | 121 | #1423 |
| 2019 | 102 | #1614 |
| 2018 | 108 | #1553 |
| 2017 | 92 | #1707 |
| 2016 | 98 | #1628 |
| 2015 | 70 | #2036 |
| 2014 | 58 | #2277 |
| 2013 | 49 | #2492 |
| 2012 | 55 | #2326 |
| 2011 | 43 | #2748 |
| 2010 | 41 | #2874 |
| 2009 | 35 | #3223 |
| 2008 | 25 | #4044 |
| 2007 | 18 | #4996 |
| 2006 | 27 | #3686 |
| 2005 | 32 | #3172 |
| 2004 | 34 | #2953 |
| 2003 | 26 | #3443 |
| 2002 | 34 | #2755 |
| 2001 | 40 | #2429 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Sultan a popular boy name?
Sultan ranked #1241 among boys in 2025 with 161 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #2036.
When was the name Sultan most popular?
Sultan peaked in 2025, when 161 American boys received the name (ranked #1241 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Sultan?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 11,180 newborn American boys was named Sultan. It scores 56/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
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.