Girl · #2,637 in 2026

Sunshine

Name: Popularity of the name Sunshine in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Sunshine, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Sunlight is the portion of the electromagnetic radiation which is emitted by the Sun and received by the Earth, in particular the visible light perceptible to the human eye as well as invisible infrared and ultraviolet lights.

Current Rank

#2,637

Peak Rank

#533 (1975)

Total Babies

5-Yr Trend

+1%

1905

First Year

2026

Last Year

1975

Peak Year

#533

Peak Rank

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Sunshine

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

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

The Story of Sunshine

Sunshine first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1905, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1975, when 324 Sunshines were born — ranking #533 that year. As of 2026, Sunshine ranks #2,637 for baby girls with 66 births, holding steady (+1%). In total, more than 6K Sunshines have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1900s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Sunshine

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

Sunshiny
Sinjin
Sanction
Suntan
Asuncion
Cenation
Sanation
Session
Ascension
Sentient
Cession
Singeing

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Sunshine

What does the name Sunshine mean?

How popular is Sunshine in 2026?

In 2026, Sunshine ranks #2,637 among girls' names in the U.S., with 66 babies given the name that year.

When was Sunshine most popular?

Sunshine reached its peak popularity in 1975, ranking #533 that year with 324 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Sunshine most popular?

Sunshine has historically been most popular in Nevada, Hawaii, Idaho. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Sunshine.

Is Sunshine a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Sunshine is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.

What names go well with Sunshine?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Sunshine include Ofelia, Carrol, Marcelle. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Sunshine

Sunshine is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1905 and has accumulated 6K births in the dataset. Sunshine's peak popularity came in 1975 when it ranked #533. Use the chart and map above to compare Sunshine'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.