Sonny
Boy name · American · English · French
Meaningson · English
- US rank
- #298
- Syllables
- 2
- Peak
- #298 in 2025
1,137 babies were named Sonny in the US in 2025. It has climbed 236 places in five years.
Found on lists
Save adds it to your list. Vote moves it up the top voted names.
US births per million girls, 1942–2025
US births per million boys, 1888–2025
Most popular states (2025)
Similar names
Popularity: U.S. Social Security Administration (babies with 5+ births per year).
Did you know?
A few things about Sonny you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
Famous Sonny
Sonny Terry
American Piedmont blues musician (1911–1986)
Choose Sonny and your child shares a first name with Sonny Terry, an American Piedmont blues musician. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Sonny, like who?” Sonny Terry's Wikipedia article is available in 26 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.
Read about Sonny Terry on Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)Photo: The original uploader was Mombas at English Wikipedia., CC BY 2.5 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons
- How commonAbout 1 in every 1,502 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Sonny, 1,137 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Sonny would very likely be the only one.
- HistorySonny first shows up in US birth records in 1888, the first year at least 5 babies got it. It has been in use for 137 years since.
- Best yearSonny is at its all-time high right now: #298 in 2025.
- Then vs nowSonny is 7.1× more common today than it was in 2000. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 10,730 baby boys; in 2025, about 1 in 1,502.
- TrendSonny has climbed 236 places in the US rankings over the last five years and now sits at #298. Fast risers like this often keep climbing, so expect to hear it more.
- Where it's lovedSonny is most popular in Maine, where it ranks #151, followed by Rhode Island (#177) and Hawaii (#180). It makes the top 1,000 in almost every state.
- MeaningIn English, Sonny means “son”. Our records link it to American, English and French roots.
About the name Sonny
Sonny is a boy name of American, English and French origin meaning “son”. It has 5 letters and 2 syllables, starting with S and ending in “-nny”. US birth records list Sonny for boys from 1888 to 2025, in 133 of those 138 years. Its best year was 2025, when it ranked #298 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #298, with 1,137 babies.
Origin:American namesEnglish namesFrench names
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 0.6 | 1,818,182 girls |
| 1950s | 1.2 | 813,008 girls |
| 1960s | 0.9 | 1,075,269 girls |
| 1970s | 4.5 | 221,729 girls |
| 1980s | 7.0 | 142,045 girls |
| 1990s | 6.8 | 145,985 girls |
| 2000s | 5.6 | 177,620 girls |
| 2010s | 13 | 74,963 girls |
| 2020s | 34 | 29,197 girls |
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 29 | 34,542 boys |
| 1890s | 27 | 36,778 boys |
| 1900s | 63 | 15,768 boys |
| 1910s | 32 | 31,447 boys |
| 1920s | 35 | 28,506 boys |
| 1930s | 103 | 9,730 boys |
| 1940s | 82 | 12,240 boys |
| 1950s | 65 | 15,458 boys |
| 1960s | 74 | 13,492 boys |
| 1970s | 154 | 6,490 boys |
| 1980s | 124 | 8,090 boys |
| 1990s | 94 | 10,635 boys |
| 2000s | 112 | 8,950 boys |
| 2010s | 150 | 6,664 boys |
| 2020s | 478 | 2,092 boys |
Other spellings of Sonny
More American boy names
- Boy name: Henry · ruler of the home
- Unisex name: Maverick · independent, unbranded
- Unisex name: Kai · sea
- Unisex name: Jace · healer
- Boy name: Jaxon · son of Jack
- Boy name: Milo · possibly gracious
- Boy name: Bryson · son of Brice
- Boy name: Louis · famous warrior
Questions about the name Sonny
What does the name Sonny mean?
Sonny means “son” in English.
What is the origin of the name Sonny?
Sonny has American, English, French roots in our records. Other American names include Henry, Maverick, Kai.
Is Sonny a boy or girl name?
Sonny is a boy name, though a few girls get it too.
How popular is the name Sonny?
Sonny ranked #298 for US boys in 2025, given to 1,137 babies. Its best year was 2025 (#298).