Charlotte Girl
SHAHR-luht
“free man” · French
#2
Sunny
UnisexEnglish· “cheerful; full of sunshine”
- Meaning
- cheerful; full of sunshine
- Origin
- English
- Pronunciation
- SUN-ee
- Syllables
- 2
- US rank 2025
- #390
- US babies 2025
- 798
- Best rank
- #370 (2024)
- Peak year
- 2024
Meaning and origin of Sunny
Sunny is an English name that means “cheerful; full of sunshine”.
Sunny is an English word name, formed from sun with the adjective ending -y, meaning full of sunshine and, by extension, bright and cheerful. Sun goes back to Old English sunne. The name has been used on its own since the early twentieth century and also as an English nickname for Indian names such as Sunil and Sunita, whose Sanskrit roots are unrelated. It is sometimes confused with Sonny, a nickname meaning little son. Sunny is used for both boys and girls. The youngest Baudelaire orphan in Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events is named Sunny.
Other spellings with the same sound: Sonny.
Popularity over time
Sunny first appears in US Social Security records in 1912. It has ranked in the top 1,000 in 20 different years, starting in 1942. Its best national rank was #370 in 2024, the same year it reached its highest count of 846 babies. In 2025, 798 babies were named Sunny, and it ranked #390 nationally. That is 266% more than ten years earlier, so it is clearly on the rise.
Its national rank moved from #2,714 in 1920, #1,599 in 1950, #807 in 1980, #1,658 in 2000, #1,285 in 2010, and #390 in 2025. Of the 13,191 US girls named Sunny since records began, 29% were born in the 2020s, its biggest decade. The 2010s come next, with 2,322 babies.
Other babies' names that peaked around the same time include Kayce, Miller, Leighton, Baylor, and Murphy.
Where it is most popular (2025)
In 2025, Sunny ranked highest in Utah, North Dakota, and Oklahoma.
| State | Rank there | Babies |
|---|---|---|
| Utah | #157 | 29 |
| North Dakota | #161 | 7 |
| Oklahoma | #174 | 23 |
| South Dakota | #185 | 7 |
| Idaho | #217 | 11 |
Gender, sound and spelling
Sunny is used for both boys and girls: over the last 20 years about 78% of US babies named Sunny were girls and 22% were boys.
Sunny is usually pronounced SUN-ee, with two syllables. It has five letters, starts with S and ends in “-ny”. Names that sound the same but are spelled differently include Sonny.
Middle names for Sunny
A few middle names that flow with Sunny: each avoids a matching first letter, a rhyme and a vowel clash where the names meet.
Sibling names for Sunny
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Lists that include Sunny
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Sunny mean?
Sunny is an English name that means “cheerful; full of sunshine”.
What is the origin of the name Sunny?
Sunny has English roots. Sunny is an English word name, formed from sun with the adjective ending -y, meaning full of sunshine and, by extension, bright and cheerful.
Is Sunny a popular name?
Yes. Sunny ranked #390 in the US in 2025, which makes it in the top 1,000.
Is Sunny a boy or girl name?
Sunny is used for both boys and girls: over the last 20 years about 78% of US babies named Sunny were girls and 22% were boys.
How do you pronounce Sunny?
Sunny is usually pronounced SUN-ee. Stressed syllables are in capital letters.
Popularity figures come from US Social Security card applications (names given to at least five babies in a year, 1880 to 2025). How we source names and meanings