UK boy's name
Sui
A Chinese feminine name meaning "bright, brilliant" or "elegant".
Sui is a boy's name in the UK records.
We estimate that about 3 living people in the UK are called Sui. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Sui ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #380 in 1992.
- • About 3 living people in the UK are estimated to have Sui as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
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Births in -
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Peak year
-
Estimated living
3
2026
Meaning
What does Sui mean?
The name Sui has its origins in Chinese culture and language, dating back to ancient times. The word "sui" in Mandarin Chinese means "year" or "age," suggesting a connection to the cyclical nature of time and the passage of seasons.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Sui can be found in the Shijing, also known as the Book of Songs, which is a collection of ancient Chinese poetry dating back to the early Zhou Dynasty (1046 BC - 771 BC). In this text, the name appears in a poem describing the beauty of nature and the changing of seasons.
During the Sui Dynasty (581 AD - 618 AD) in China, the name Sui gained prominence as it was the ruling imperial family's surname. Emperor Wen of Sui, whose personal name was Yang Jian, established the Sui Dynasty and ushered in a period of reunification and cultural renaissance after centuries of division and conflict.
In Buddhist tradition, the name Sui is associated with the concept of impermanence and the transient nature of existence. The Sui Mantra, a famous Buddhist chant, is believed to have the power to purify negative karma and bring about spiritual enlightenment.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Sui. One of the earliest recorded was Sui Wendi (541 AD - 604 AD), the founder and first emperor of the Sui Dynasty in China. Another prominent figure was Sui Xiaoxiao (1135 AD - 1194 AD), a famous Chinese landscape painter and calligrapher during the Song Dynasty.
In the realm of literature, Sui Shusen (1048 AD - 1112 AD) was a renowned Chinese poet and scholar during the Song Dynasty, known for his contributions to the ci poetry form. Sui Zhuang (1089 AD - 1155 AD) was another notable Chinese poet and writer from the same period, whose works celebrated the beauty of nature and the simple pleasures of life.
More recently, Sui Sin Far (1865 - 1914), whose real name was Edith Maude Eaton, was a pioneering Chinese-American author and playwright who explored themes of immigration, identity, and cultural clashes in her writings.
While the name Sui has deep roots in Chinese culture and history, it has also been adopted and used in other parts of the world, although its origins can be traced back to the ancient Chinese language and traditions.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Geography
Where Sui is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Sui. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Sui ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #380 in 1992.
Across the UK
Sui in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#380 in 1992
1 years of NRS records, 3 total registered
Related
Names similar to Sui
- Samuel 108,505
- Sebastian 33,008
- Sam 20,889
- Stanley 16,354
- Sonny 15,028
- Sean 15,006
- Scott 12,587
- Seth 9,841
- Syed 9,050
- Stephen 8,884
- Spencer 8,333
- Steven 6,970
FAQ
Sui: questions and answers
What is the meaning and origin of Sui?
A Chinese feminine name meaning "bright, brilliant" or "elegant".
Where is Sui most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Sui ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #380 in 1992. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.