Susan

Did you know?

A few things about Susan you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Susan

Susan Sontag

American writer and filmmaker, professor, and activist (1933–2004)

Choose Susan and your child shares a first name with Susan Sontag, an American writer and filmmaker, professor, and activist. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Susan, like who?” Susan Sontag's Wikipedia article is available in 94 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Susan Sontag on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: Lynn Gilbert, CC BY-SA 4.0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 7,241 baby girls born in the US in 2025 was named Susan, 222 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Susan would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistorySusan has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Susans, and counting.
• 🏆Best yearIt was far more popular in 1960, when it ranked #2. Today it's #1,085, so it could be due a comeback.
• 📉Then vs nowSusan was 2.8× more common in 2000 than it is today. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 2,621 baby girls; in 2025, about 1 in 7,241.
• 🍂TrendSusan has slipped 113 places over the last five years and now sits at #1,085. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
• 📍Where it's lovedSusan is most popular in Pennsylvania, where it ranks #414, followed by Ohio (#531) and Wisconsin (#564). It's in the top 1,000 in 12 states.
• 💬MeaningSusan is an English form of Susanna, which means “lily”. Our records link it to English and Hebrew roots.

About the name Susan

Susan is a girl name of English and Hebrew origin meaning “lily”. It has 5 letters and 2 syllables, starting with S and ending in “-san”. US birth records list Susan for girls from 1880 to 2025, in 146 of those 146 years. Its best year was 1960, when it ranked #2 among girl names. In 2025 it ranked #1,085, with 222 babies.

Origin:English namesHebrew names