Sonny

Origin: English — Nickname for a young son; also a pet form of Sonia

Boy's name · #298 in the US (2025) · Trending

94% boys · 6% girls — Sonny is also given to girls: 55 in 2025, about 1 in 16 in recent years. Sonny →

Popularity over time

Sonny is moving up the charts. First recorded in 1888, it stood at #298 in 2025 — its strongest showing yet; about 22,000 boys have been named Sonny along the way.

Across the states

See where Sonny is more common.

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 46 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Around the world

See how Sonny ranks in other countries and regions.

#27 in Scotland (2025) · #28 in Ireland (2025) · #37 in Australia (QLD) (2025) · #40 in Australia (NSW) (2025) · #43 in Australia (VIC) (2025) · #45 in England & Wales (2025) · #53 in N. Ireland (2025) · #165 in New Zealand (2025) · #676 in Netherlands (2025) · #1,447 in Sweden (2025) · #2,118 in France (2025) · #349 in Canada (2024).

Famous Sonnys

Sonny Rollins — American jazz saxophonist and composer (1930–2026)
Sonny Bono — American entertainer, musician and politician (1935–1998)
Sonny Chiba — Japanese actor and martial artist (1939–2021)
Sonny Liston — American boxer (c. 1930–1970)
Sonny Anderson — Brazilian footballer

In stories & tradition

Sonny Corleone — The Godfather (book)
Sonny Seagull — Donald Duck
Sonny Duckworth^no — anthropomorphic bird

What Sonnys become

Among 422 notable people named Sonny:

Entertainers appear 2.45× more often than among typical names — e.g. Sonny Bono, American entertainer, musician and politician (1935–1998).

Similar names: Hank · Zohan · Johnny · Jensen · Shiloh · Bodie

Browse more boy names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

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