Sonny
Top 1000
About Sonny
Sonny is one of the generic boy nickname names making a surprise reappearance, and it was recently used by actor Jason Lee. Another surprise: It's been on the US Top 1000 list every year since 1927, and as of 2023, it entered the Top 400 for the first time. Laidback Sonny is also popular in the UK, New Zealand and Australia.
Most celebrities who've gone by Sonny have had a formal birth name, including Sonny Bono (born Salvatore), Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Purdue (George Ervin), boxer Sonny Liston (Charles), and jazz musician Sonny Rollins (Theodore Walter). Even fictional Sonny Crockett on Miami Vice was born James.
Pronounced SUN-ee.
As of October 2026, Sonny ranked #298 in US births in 2025 SSA, Nameberry popularity #147.
Editor's take: The name Sonny is a boy's name meaning "son".
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank | Births | Per million |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #890 | 243 | 126.5 |
| 2015 | #824 | 275 | 143.5 |
| 2016 | #842 | 268 | 141.2 |
| 2017 | #774 | 303 | 163.7 |
| 2018 | #663 | 382 | 210.3 |
| 2019 | #643 | 417 | 232.4 |
| 2020 | #538 | 526 | 304.7 |
| 2021 | #499 | 588 | 336.1 |
| 2022 | #428 | 725 | 415.2 |
| 2023 | #354 | 928 | 542.5 |
| 2024 | #335 | 1,034 | 600.2 |
| 2025 | #298 | 1,137 | 665.7 |
World rankings
Similar names
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Sonny on lists
Famous Sonnys
- Salvatore Phillip "Sonny" Bono
American singer and U.S. Congressman from California
- Charles L. "Sonny" Liston
American boxer
- Sonny William "Sonny Bill" Williams
New Zealand rugby player
- Sonny Douglas Gray
American baseball pitcher
- Edward "Sonny" Stitt
American jazz saxophonist
- Walter Theodore "Sonny" Rollins
American jazz tenor saxophonist
- Edwin Bradfield Liloa "Sonny" Chillingworth
American guitarist
- George Ervin "Sonny" Perdue III
American politician; 81st Governor of Georgia
- Sonny John Moore aka Skrillex
American electronic music producer
- Sonny Corey Uwaezuoke aka Sonny Digital
American rapper
- Sonny Sanford Rosenman (b. 2017)
son of American television personality Whitney Port
- Sonny Ashcroft
son of musicians Kate Radley of Spiritualized and Richard Ashcroft of The Verve
- Sonny Jones (b. 2004)
son of musicians Sophie Ellis,Bextor and Richard Jones
- Sonny Miller (b. 2006)
son of actors Belinda Stewart,Wilson and Ben Miller
- Sonny Patrick MacDonald Gallagher
son of musician Noel Gallagher of Oasis
- Sonny Lee (born 2012)
son of actor Jason Lee and Ceren Alkac
- Sonny White (b. 2013)
son of musician Jason White of Green Day
- Sonny Donald Blake (b. 2014)
son of actors Hamish Blake & Zoe Foster
- Lyric Sonny Roads Goldberg (b. 2014)
son of Soleil Moon Frye and Jason Goldberg
- Sonny Grigg (b. 2014)
son of Australian rules footballer Shaun Grigg
- Sonny John Ray (b. 2016)
son of singer Brooke White and David Ray
- Otis Sonny David Macdonald
son of Leah Wood & Jack Macdonald
Sonny in pop culture
- Sonny St. Jacques
character on TV's 'Laverne & Shirley'
- Sonny Corinthos
characteron the American soap General Hospital
- Sonny Forelli
villain of the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
- Santino "Sonny" Corleone
character from "The Godfather"
- Sonny Koufax
character in movie "Big Daddy"
- Sonny Joon
character in HerInteractive's "The Shattered Medallion"
- Sonny
character from the Broadway musical "In The Heights"
- Sonny Grotowski
character in film "Monster's Ball"