UK name, mostly boys
Sunny
A feminine English name derived from the word "sun", meaning bright or radiant.
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Also recorded as a girls' name in the UK, with 438 girls.
Sunny is mostly registered for boys in the UK records. People looking for Sunny popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #552, with 69 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2024, with 69 births.
This profile covers 930 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. 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.
Sunny is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.
We estimate that about 963 living people in the UK are called Sunny. 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
- • Sunny ranked #552 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 69 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2024, when 69 boys were registered as Sunny.
- • Sunny ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #727 in 2024.
- • Sunny is also recorded for girls, but the boys side is the larger UK variant in these records.
- • About 963 living people in the UK are estimated to have Sunny as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
- • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 68.0% of Sunny registrations are for boys.
Latest rank (E&W)
#552
2024
Births in 2024
69
Latest year
Peak year
2024
69 births
Estimated living
963
2026
Gender
Boy and girl registrations for Sunny
In England and Wales birth records, Sunny has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 68.0% of registrations are for boys and 32.0% are for girls.
These figures use the sex categories in the published baby-name files. They are useful for spotting how the name is used at registration, but they are not a live measure of gender identity or everyone living with the name today.
Sunny registered for boys
- Ranked #552 in 2024
- 69 boys registered in 2024
- Peak: 2024 (69 births)
Sunny registered for girls
- Ranked #855 in 2024
- 43 girls registered in 2024
- Peak: 2024 (43 births)
Meaning
What does Sunny mean?
The name Sunny originates from the English language and is derived from the word "sun," which refers to the star at the center of our solar system. It is a relatively modern name, gaining popularity in the 20th century.
The use of Sunny as a given name can be traced back to the late 19th century, when it was occasionally used as a nickname or pet name for individuals with sunny dispositions or bright personalities. It was not until the mid-20th century that Sunny began to be used more widely as a standalone given name.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Sunny was Sunny Von Bulow, born Annie Laurie Jetty Auersperg Knaufft in 1932. She gained notoriety in the 1980s due to a highly publicized legal case involving her husband, Claus Von Bulow, who was accused of attempting to murder her.
Another notable Sunny from history was Sunny Baker, an American actress born in 1913. She appeared in numerous films and television shows throughout her career, which spanned from the 1930s to the 1970s.
In the realm of sports, Sunny Bono, born Salvatore Phillip Aurienza in 1935, was a successful singer, actor, and politician. He was half of the popular singing duo Sonny & Cher and later served as a member of the United States House of Representatives.
Sunny Day, born Sarah Vaughan in 1924, was an influential American jazz singer and one of the leading vocalists of the bebop era. She was renowned for her exceptional vocal range and innovative interpretations of popular songs.
Sunny Lane, born Karen Malou Tomlinson in 1980, is a former adult film actress and model who achieved fame and recognition in the adult entertainment industry during the early 2000s.
While the name Sunny is relatively modern, it has gained popularity across various cultures and regions due to its association with warmth, positivity, and a radiant personality. The name's connection to the sun and its life-giving properties has contributed to its enduring appeal.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Sunny over time
The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Sunny in England and Wales, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Sunny, the clearest high point is 2024. The latest England and Wales figure is 69 births in 2024, compared with 69 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Sunny by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Sunny 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #659 | 274 | 5 |
| 2010s | #1032 | 278 | 10 |
| 2000s | #813 | 284 | 10 |
| 1990s | #701 | 94 | 4 |
Geography
Where Sunny is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Sunny. 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.
Sunny ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #727 in 2024.
Across the UK
Sunny in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#727 in 2024
9 years of NRS records, 40 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Sunny
-
Sunny Fong
production assistant
1993-
-
Sunny Sun
actor
Hong Kong actor
1989-
-
Sunny Hundal
editor; blogger; journalist
British blogger
1977-
-
Sunny Lowry
swimmer
British swimmer (1911-2008)
1911-2008
Related
Names similar to Sunny
- 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
Sunny: questions and answers
How popular is the name Sunny in the UK right now?
In 2024, Sunny was ranked #552 for boys in England and Wales, with 69 births registered.
When was Sunny most popular?
The peak year on record was 2024, with 69 babies registered as Sunny in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Sunny?
A feminine English name derived from the word "sun", meaning bright or radiant.
How many people are called Sunny in the UK?
A total of 930 babies have been registered as Sunny across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 40 more in Scotland.
Where is Sunny most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Sunny ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #727 in 2024. 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.