Girl · #8,924 in 2026

Sunflower

The common sunflower is a species of large annual forb of the daisy family Asteraceae. The common sunflower is harvested for its edible oily seeds, which are often eaten as a snack food. They are also used in the production of cooking oil, as food for livestock, as bird food, and as plantings in domestic gardens for aesthetics.

Current Rank
#8,924
Peak Rank
#5,089 (2021)
Total Babies
118
5-Yr Trend
-34%
1999
First Year
2026
Last Year
2021
Peak Year
#5089
Peak Rank
118
Total Count
10
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Sunflower

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

The common sunflower is a species of large annual forb of the daisy family Asteraceae. The common sunflower is harvested for its edible oily seeds, which are often eaten as a snack food. They are also used in the production of cooking oil, as food for livestock, as bird food, and as plantings in domestic gardens for aesthetics.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Etymology
In the binomial name Helianthus annuus , the genus name is derived from the Greek ἥλιος : hḗlios 'sun' and ἄνθος : ánthos 'flower'. The species name annuus means 'annual' in Latin.
Origin & history
The common sunflower was one of several plants cultivated by Native Americans in prehistoric North America as part of the Eastern Agricultural Complex , which also included goosefoot , little barley , squash, and a variety of other crops, most of which were replaced by maize and beans following their introduction. Although it was commonly accepted that the sunflower was first domesticated in what is now the southeastern US, roughly 5,000 years ago, there is evidence that it was first domesticated in Mexico around 2600 BCE. These crops were found in Tabasco, Mexico , at the San Andres dig site.

The Story of Sunflower

Sunflower first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1999, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2021, when 25 Sunflowers were born — ranking #5,089 that year. As of 2026, Sunflower ranks #8,924 for baby girls with 10 births, falling sharply (-34%). In total, more than 118 Sunflowers have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1990s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Sunflower

Phonetically similar names — useful when Sunflower is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

  • Sunflowers
  • Sunfire
  • Safflower
  • Seafloor
  • Sommelier
  • Similiar
  • Moonflower
  • Coneflower
  • Sinclair
  • Safar
  • Subfloor
  • Sunnier

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Sunflower

What does the name Sunflower mean?
The common sunflower is a species of large annual forb of the daisy family Asteraceae. The common sunflower is harvested for its edible oily seeds, which are often eaten as a snack food. They are also used in the production of cooking oil, as food for livestock, as bird food, and as plantings in domestic gardens for aesthetics.
How popular is Sunflower in 2026?
In 2026, Sunflower ranks #8,924 among girls' names in the U.S., with 10 babies given the name that year.
When was Sunflower most popular?
Sunflower reached its peak popularity in 2021, ranking #5,089 that year with 25 babies given the name.
Is Sunflower a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Sunflower is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Sunflower?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Sunflower include Ilya, Nelli, Calynn. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

Similar Names

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Ilya
Peak #5089
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Nelli
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Calynn
Peak #5089
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Bali
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👧
Zeanna
Peak #5089
👧
Eveny
Peak #5089
👧
Zeya
Peak #5089
👧
Naveyah
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About the name Sunflower

Sunflower is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1999 and has accumulated 118 births in the dataset. Sunflower's peak popularity came in 2021 when it ranked #5,089. Use the chart and map above to compare Sunflower's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.