Sunita
Sunita was a highly accomplished disciple of the Buddha. He was born in a family of untouchables whose job was of sweeping around the temple area. According to Thanissaro Bhikkhu's translation of the Theragāthā account, Sunīta laments:"People found me disgusting, despised me, disparaged me. Lowering my heart, I showed reverence to many."
- Hinduism
- Hindi
- Marathi
- Nepali
Meaning & Origin of Sunita
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Sunita was a highly accomplished disciple of the Buddha. He was born in a family of untouchables whose job was of sweeping around the temple area. According to Thanissaro Bhikkhu's translation of the Theragāthā account, Sunīta laments:"People found me disgusting, despised me, disparaged me. Lowering my heart, I showed reverence to many."
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Hinduism
- Hindi
- Marathi
- Nepali
The Story of Sunita
The earliest SSA record of Sunita as a baby girl name dates back to 1963, when 5 babies received it. 1983 was its biggest year on record, with 28 newborns named Sunita — #2,976 in the national rankings. The 1980s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 31% of all recorded Sunitas. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 2023 (5 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. In total, more than 609 Sunitas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1960s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Sunita
Phonetically similar names — useful when Sunita is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Sunita
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About the name Sunita
Sunita is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1963 and has accumulated 609 births in the dataset. Sunita's peak popularity came in 1983 when it ranked #2,976. Use the chart and map above to compare Sunita's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1983 →
- Names of the 1980s →
- Names starting with "S" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
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.