Sonny
Boy · SUN-ee · English
Sonny is a boys' name of English origin, meaning “son, young boy”. In 2025 it ranked 45th for boys in the UK (1,315 babies) and 298th for boys in the US (1,137 babies).
What does Sonny mean?
English
“son, young boy”
Originally an affectionate English nickname for a young boy, from son.
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- SUN-ee
More on Wiktionary.
Is Sonny a girl's or a boy's name?
Sonny is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 1,315 boys in the UK and 55 girls and 1,137 boys in the US.
How popular is Sonny in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #45among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 1,315about 1 in 230 boys
- Five-year trend
- Risingup 59% in five years
- Same name in a class
- 6%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 1,315 boys in the UK were named Sonny, making it the 45th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 77th.
It has been given to more boys each year for the last 9 years. 2025 had the most boys named Sonny of any year since the records began in 1996.
Half of all the boys named Sonny in the UK since 1996 were born between 2009 and 2022, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 1,433 boys in the UK were given Sonny or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #38, up from #45 for this spelling alone.
Among boys in 2025, it was 45th in England and Wales, 26th in Scotland and 52nd in Northern Ireland.
In the England and Wales top 100 for boys, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 2014 (#95) and 2024 (#51).
Sonny in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,315 | #45 |
| 2024 | 1,154 | #49 |
| 2023 | 1,107 | #54 |
| 2022 | 952 | #66 |
| 2021 | 873 | #75 |
| 2020 | 807 | #77 |
| 2019 | 732 | #98 |
| 2018 | 714 | #101 |
| 2017 | 643 | #113 |
| 2016 | 632 | #114 |
| 2015 | 749 | #99 |
| 2014 | 710 | #98 |
| 2013 | 686 | #104 |
| 2012 | 752 | #95 |
| 2011 | 638 | #115 |
| 2010 | 609 | #121 |
| 2009 | 606 | #115 |
| 2008 | 591 | #114 |
| 2007 | 629 | #112 |
| 2006 | 542 | #118 |
| 2005 | 509 | #127 |
| 2004 | 449 | #132 |
| 2003 | 290 | #165 |
| 2002 | 266 | #161 |
| 2001 | 229 | #174 |
| 2000 | 201 | #188 |
| 1999 | 139 | #241 |
| 1998 | 167 | #220 |
| 1997 | 151 | #234 |
| 1996 | 128 | #256 |
How popular is Sonny in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #298among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 1,137about 1 in 1,500 boys
- Five-year trend
- Rising fastup 134% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 1,137 boys in the US were named Sonny, making it the 298th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 534th. It first appears in the records in 1888. 55 girls were also named Sonny in 2025 (2,998th for girls).
It has been given to more boys each year for the last 9 years. 2025 had the most boys named Sonny of any year since it first appeared, in 1888.
Half of all the boys named Sonny in the US since 1880 were born between 1969 and 2018, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 1,374 boys in the US were given Sonny or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #273, up from #298 for this spelling alone.
Sonny in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,137 | #298 |
| 2024 | 1,037 | #336 |
| 2023 | 929 | #354 |
| 2022 | 725 | #428 |
| 2021 | 589 | #498 |
| 2020 | 527 | #534 |
| 2019 | 417 | #644 |
| 2018 | 382 | #661 |
| 2017 | 303 | #773 |
| 2016 | 268 | #842 |
| 2015 | 275 | #822 |
| 2014 | 243 | #888 |
| 2013 | 252 | #845 |
| 2012 | 222 | #925 |
| 2011 | 232 | #889 |
| 2010 | 212 | #946 |
| 2009 | 248 | #860 |
| 2008 | 247 | #861 |
| 2007 | 240 | #865 |
| 2006 | 225 | #877 |
| 2005 | 241 | #799 |
| 2004 | 212 | #837 |
| 2003 | 231 | #763 |
| 2002 | 209 | #810 |
| 2001 | 196 | #828 |
| 2000 | 183 | #863 |
| 1999 | 165 | #903 |
| 1998 | 166 | #870 |
| 1997 | 156 | #884 |
| 1996 | 153 | #882 |
| 1995 | 185 | #786 |
| 1994 | 156 | #855 |
| 1993 | 190 | #755 |
| 1992 | 189 | #750 |
| 1991 | 237 | #657 |
| 1990 | 241 | #649 |
| 1989 | 288 | #572 |
| 1988 | 274 | #555 |
| 1987 | 226 | #605 |
| 1986 | 273 | #540 |
| 1985 | 199 | #621 |
| 1984 | 197 | #606 |
| 1983 | 167 | #662 |
| 1982 | 209 | #594 |
| 1981 | 234 | #558 |
| 1980 | 221 | #577 |
| 1979 | 221 | #574 |
| 1978 | 261 | #501 |
| 1977 | 210 | #576 |
| 1976 | 274 | #480 |
| 1975 | 336 | #427 |
| 1974 | 280 | #475 |
| 1973 | 274 | #476 |
| 1972 | 263 | #486 |
| 1971 | 206 | #567 |
| 1970 | 192 | #582 |
| 1969 | 176 | #584 |
| 1968 | 169 | #581 |
| 1967 | 153 | #605 |
| 1966 | 120 | #678 |
| 1965 | 123 | #668 |
| 1964 | 134 | #665 |
| 1963 | 129 | #682 |
| 1962 | 125 | #691 |
| 1961 | 139 | #662 |
| 1960 | 145 | #646 |
| 1959 | 116 | #711 |
| 1958 | 168 | #597 |
| 1957 | 150 | #624 |
| 1956 | 139 | #642 |
| 1955 | 125 | #655 |
| 1954 | 128 | #647 |
| 1953 | 129 | #628 |
| 1952 | 122 | #633 |
| 1951 | 112 | #660 |
| 1950 | 120 | #625 |
| 1949 | 119 | #623 |
| 1948 | 124 | #610 |
| 1947 | 141 | #568 |
| 1946 | 129 | #566 |
| 1945 | 99 | #608 |
| 1944 | 136 | #522 |
| 1943 | 127 | #562 |
| 1942 | 117 | #571 |
| 1941 | 98 | #603 |
| 1940 | 111 | #562 |
| 1939 | 97 | #581 |
| 1938 | 116 | #541 |
| 1937 | 124 | #517 |
| 1936 | 119 | #518 |
| 1935 | 147 | #469 |
| 1934 | 133 | #496 |
| 1933 | 105 | #557 |
| 1932 | 84 | #666 |
| 1931 | 67 | #756 |
| 1930 | 92 | #640 |
| 1929 | 76 | #712 |
| 1928 | 59 | #862 |
| 1927 | 52 | #964 |
| 1926 | 23 | #1,565 |
| 1925 | 35 | #1,201 |
| 1924 | 28 | #1,414 |
| 1923 | 28 | #1,385 |
| 1922 | 30 | #1,333 |
| 1921 | 28 | #1,412 |
| 1920 | 27 | #1,416 |
| 1919 | 28 | #1,351 |
| 1918 | 20 | #1,709 |
| 1917 | 22 | #1,528 |
| 1916 | 29 | #1,240 |
| 1915 | 17 | #1,706 |
| 1914 | 18 | #1,441 |
| 1913 | 8 | #2,091 |
| 1912 | 18 | #1,095 |
| 1911 | 14 | #895 |
| 1910 | 9 | #1,117 |
| 1909 | 11 | #893 |
| 1908 | 8 | #1,021 |
| 1907 | 10 | #865 |
| 1906 | 7 | #1,003 |
| 1905 | 8 | #918 |
| 1904 | 13 | #647 |
| 1903 | 6 | #1,009 |
| 1902 | 6 | #1,012 |
| 1901 | 5 | #1,057 |
| 1900 | 13 | #698 |
| 1899 | 0 | – |
| 1898 | 5 | #1,120 |
| 1897 | 5 | #1,056 |
| 1896 | 6 | #981 |
| 1895 | 6 | #977 |
| 1894 | 0 | – |
| 1893 | 5 | #1,034 |
| 1892 | 5 | #1,065 |
| 1891 | 0 | – |
| 1890 | 0 | – |
| 1889 | 0 | – |
| 1888 | 7 | #815 |
Names like Sonny
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Tommy Frankie Teddy Hudson Rory Roman Reggie Oakley Hunter Grayson Ronnie Sebastian
Other spellings of Sonny
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