UK boy's name
Sunil
A Hindu masculine given name meaning "bright as the sun".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2010. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Sunil is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Sunil popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2010 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3332, with 5 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1996, with 26 births.
This profile covers 177 England and Wales registrations across 15 recorded years from 1996 to 2010. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 19% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 178 living people in the UK are called Sunil. 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 2011 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Sunil ranked #3332 for boys in England and Wales in 2010, with 5 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1996, when 26 boys were registered as Sunil.
- • Sunil ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #315 in 1982.
- • About 178 living people in the UK are estimated to have Sunil as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#3332
2010
Births in 2010
5
Latest year
Peak year
1996
26 births
Estimated living
178
2026
Meaning
What does Sunil mean?
The name Sunil has its origins in Sanskrit, the ancient language of India, and is derived from the Sanskrit words "su" meaning "good" and "nila" meaning "blue" or "dark." The name can therefore be interpreted to mean "good blue" or "good dark one." It is a masculine name that has been in use in the Indian subcontinent for centuries.
The earliest known historical reference to the name Sunil can be found in ancient Hindu scriptures and texts, where it is mentioned as a name given to characters or individuals. However, the exact time period or context in which the name first appeared is not clear.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Sunil was Sunil Vihar, a Buddhist monk and scholar who lived in the 7th century CE. He was known for his contributions to the study and preservation of Buddhist texts and teachings.
Another notable figure in history with the name Sunil was Sunil Kumar Chatterjee, an Indian revolutionary and freedom fighter who lived from 1890 to 1964. He played an active role in the Indian independence movement against British colonial rule.
In the field of literature, Sunil Gangopadhyay (1934-2012) was a renowned Bengali novelist, poet, and playwright. He was a recipient of several prestigious literary awards, including the Sahitya Akademi Award and the Jnanpith Award.
Sunil Manohar Gavaskar (born in 1949) is a legendary Indian cricketer who is widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of the sport. He was the first cricketer to score over 10,000 runs in Test cricket and was also a successful captain of the Indian national team.
Sunil Chhetri (born in 1984) is a contemporary Indian football player who currently serves as the captain of the Indian national football team. He is the all-time top scorer for the Indian national team and is considered one of the greatest players in the history of Indian football.
While these are just a few examples, the name Sunil has been borne by many notable individuals throughout history, across various fields and cultures, reflecting its enduring popularity and significance.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Sunil over time
The chart below shows babies named Sunil registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2010. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Sunil, the clearest high point is 1996. The latest England and Wales figure is 5 births in 2010, compared with 26 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Sunil by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Sunil was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | #3332 | 5 | 1 |
| 2000s | #2424 | 87 | 10 |
| 1990s | #757 | 85 | 4 |
Geography
Where Sunil is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Sunil. 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.
Sunil ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #315 in 1982.
Across the UK
Sunil in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#315 in 1982
1 years of NRS records, 3 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Sunil
-
Sunil Sawney
cricketer
English cricketer (born 1962)
1962-
-
Sunil Gupta
freelance writer; photographer; exhibition curator
photographer, freelance writer, & exhibitions organiser; Canadian citizen born in India & currently lives in London (born 1953)
1953-
Related
Names similar to Sunil
- 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
Sunil: questions and answers
How popular is the name Sunil in the UK right now?
In 2010, Sunil was ranked #3332 for boys in England and Wales, with 5 births registered.
When was Sunil most popular?
The peak year on record was 1996, with 26 babies registered as Sunil in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Sunil?
A Hindu masculine given name meaning "bright as the sun".
How many people are called Sunil in the UK?
A total of 177 babies have been registered as Sunil across the 15 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 3 more in Scotland.
Where is Sunil most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Sunil ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #315 in 1982. 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.