Total births
1,360
Girls' name · since 1970
Sonali
1,360 babies named Sonali in U.S. Social Security records since 1970, with the highest year being 2000. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #6239
- among girls today
- 1,360
- born since 1970
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 65%
- more common than other girls
Sonali currently ranks #6239 among girls' names in America, with 1,360 babies recorded since 1970.
Social Security Administration records show Sonali recorded 1,360 times among girls since 1970, holding rank #6239 nationally today, ahead of 65% of girls, peaking in the 2000s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1970 to 2025.
- #6239 among girls today
- 1,360 born since 1970
- 2000s peak decade
- 65% more common than other girls
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
Sonali is currently the #6239 girls' name in America, more common than 65% of girls - 1,360 born since 1970, peaking in the 2000s.
- #6239
- among girls today
- 1,360
- born since 1970
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 65%
- more common than other girls
Sonali vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#6239
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 65% of names given to girls today.
2000s
Peak decade
30% of everyone ever named Sonali was born in this single decade.
2000
Single peak year
60 babies were named Sonali in 2000 - its busiest year on record.
How Sonali compares
1,360 Top 27% higher than 73% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Sonali's all-time total is 4x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Sonali | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,360 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 60 | 48 | 19,840 |
Sonali's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Sonali splits its recorded history at 1998: 66% of all births land in the more recent half, 34% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1970 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2000 peak of 60 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Sonali at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2000
Current rank
#6,239
Active since
1970
Sonali popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1970–2025
- Peak year (2000)
- 60
- Annual births at peak, across 56 years of records
Sonali by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Sonali's strongest decade.
410 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 30% of all-time use.
Sonali births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s 104
1970s
104 births
- 1980s 152
1980s
152 births
- 1990s
1990s
291 births
- 2000s
2000s
410 births
- 2010s
2010s
249 births
- 2020s 154
2020s
154 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 410 births (30% of all-time use).
How Sonali compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Sonali's total volume
Sonali vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Sonali by state
Where Sonali concentrates geographically, total births since 1970
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 209 | 15.4% |
| #2 | New York | | 62 | 4.6% |
| #3 | New Jersey | | 52 | 3.8% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 15 | 1.1% |
| #5 | Texas | | 10 | 0.7% |
| #6 | Pennsylvania | | 5 | 0.4% |
California share of Sonali's total US births 15.4%
Even split
209 of 1,360 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 6 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Sonali? ▼
1,360 babies have been named Sonali since 1970. It currently ranks #6239 among girls. The peak year was 2000 with 60 births.
When was Sonali most popular? ▼
Sonali was most popular in the 2000s decade with 410 total births. The single peak year was 2000.
Where is Sonali most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Sonali are California (209 births), New York (62 births), New Jersey (52 births).
How long has the name Sonali been used? ▼
Records for Sonali go back to 1970, giving 56 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Sonali? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Sonia, Sonya, Sonja, Sondra, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Sonali's data
- Sonali's usage has stayed within range of its 2000s decade-level peak (410 total births) through the 2020s (154) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Sonalis (209 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Sonali
Nearby Names Like Sonali
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Sonali
Sonia Girl
#1352 66,747 births
Sonya Girl
#1914 65,772 births
Sonja Girl
#2933 39,513 births
Sondra Girl
#12228 27,074 births
Sonora Girl
#2899 1,444 births
Compare Sonali side by side: Sonali vs Sonia Sonali vs Sonya Sonali vs Sonja
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Sonali
Data Sources
Data as of July 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1970–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Sonali: #6239 Girls' Name - 1,360 Births, Peak 2000." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/sonali. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Sonali draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of July 2026.