Sultan
Boy name · #1241 in 2025 · Rare
How old is the name Sultan? In official American birth records, Sultan has been tracked continuously since 1966, giving it 59 years of documented American history.
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. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Sultan against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Sultan in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Sultan is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Sultan will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Sultan is most common
Geography matters for names, and Sultan is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Sultan is most common in VA (0.4 per 1,000), IL (0.3 per 1,000), NY (0.2 per 1,000), CA (0.2 per 1,000), TX (0.1 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.1 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Sultan is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
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
How old is the name Sultan?
In official American birth records, the name Sultan first appeared in 1966 (over 59 years ago), when 9 newborn boys received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 59 years.
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. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.