NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Sunshine

A feminine name derived from the natural source of light and warmth.

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.

Sunshine is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Sunshine popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3695, with 6 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2012, with 6 births.

This profile covers 57 England and Wales registrations across 13 recorded years from 1997 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, 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 100% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 57 living people in the UK are called Sunshine. 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

  • Sunshine ranked #3695 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 6 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2012, when 6 girls were registered as Sunshine.
  • About 57 living people in the UK are estimated to have Sunshine as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#3695

2024

Births in 2024

6

Latest year

Peak year

2012

6 births

Estimated living

57

2026

Meaning

What does Sunshine mean?

The name Sunshine is an English word name that emerged in the late 20th century as a unique baby name. It is derived from the English word "sunshine," which refers to the rays of the sun. The name reflects a sense of warmth, joy, and positivity.

While the name Sunshine has no direct historical or cultural origins, it draws inspiration from the sun's symbolic significance across various civilizations. The sun has been revered as a life-giving force and a symbol of power, fertility, and divinity in many ancient cultures, including those of Egypt, Greece, and various Native American tribes.

The earliest recorded use of the name Sunshine as a given name dates back to the 1960s. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this name was Sunshine Tengle, an American actress born in 1968. Another notable individual was Sunshine Parker, an American singer and songwriter born in 1971.

In the literary world, the name Sunshine gained prominence with the character Sunshine Corazón in the 1995 novel "The Folks That Live on the Hill" by Kingsley Amis. The name also appeared in the 2007 film "Sunshine," which explored the lives of a crew traveling towards the sun.

Other individuals who have borne the name Sunshine include Sunshine Cruz, a Filipino actress born in 1977, and Sunshine Dizon, another Filipino actress born in 1983. In the music industry, Sunshine Anderson, an American R&B singer, rose to fame in the early 2000s.

While not a traditional name with a deep historical roots, Sunshine has gained popularity as a unique and uplifting name choice in recent decades, reflecting the desire to imbue a sense of positivity and warmth into a child's identity.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Sunshine over time

The chart below shows babies named Sunshine registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1997 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 Sunshine, the clearest high point is 2012. The latest England and Wales figure is 6 births in 2024, compared with 6 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Sunshine
02356199720102024

Decades

Sunshine by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Sunshine 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 #4062 20 4
2010s #4439 23 5
2000s #5172 6 2
1990s #3297 8 2

Related

Names similar to Sunshine

FAQ

Sunshine: questions and answers

How popular is the name Sunshine in the UK right now?

In 2024, Sunshine was ranked #3695 for girls in England and Wales, with 6 births registered.

When was Sunshine most popular?

The peak year on record was 2012, with 6 babies registered as Sunshine in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Sunshine?

A feminine name derived from the natural source of light and warmth.

How many people are called Sunshine in the UK?

A total of 57 babies have been registered as Sunshine across the 13 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.

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.