Total births
989
Boys' name · since 1962
Sunil
Since 1962, U.S. Social Security records show 989 babies named Sunil, peaking in 1979. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- 989
- total births
- 1962–2019
- years on record
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 30%
- born in that decade
Sunil is not among the current top-ranked boys names; 989 have been recorded since 1962.
Sunil has 989 recorded births among boys since 1962, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used boys names, busiest in the 1970s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1962 to 2019.
- 989 total births
- 1962–2019 years on record
- 1970s peak decade
- 30% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
989 boys have been named Sunil since 1962, peaking in the 1970s, last recorded in 2019.
- 989
- total births
- 1962–2019
- years on record
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 30%
- born in that decade
1970s
Peak decade
30% of everyone ever named Sunil was born in this single decade.
1979
Single peak year
42 babies were named Sunil in 1979 - its busiest year on record.
Sunil's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Sunil's full recorded timeline at 1989, 33% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 67% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1965, with just 6 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1979 peak of 42 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Sunil at a glance
Last recorded 2019Peak year
1979
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1962
Sunil popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1962–2019
- Peak year (1979)
- 42
- Annual births at peak, across 58 years of records
Sunil by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1970s was Sunil's strongest decade.
300 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 30% of all-time use.
Sunil births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1960s 99
1960s
99 births
- 1970s
1970s
300 births
- 1980s
1980s
285 births
- 1990s
1990s
169 births
- 2000s 95
2000s
95 births
- 2010s 41
2010s
41 births
What this shows Peak: 1970s at 300 births (30% of all-time use).
How Sunil compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Sunil's total volume
Sunil vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Sunil by state
Where Sunil concentrates geographically, total births since 1962
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 159 | 16.1% |
| #2 | Illinois | | 34 | 3.4% |
| #3 | California | | 33 | 3.3% |
| #4 | Pennsylvania | | 5 | 0.5% |
| #5 | Texas | | 5 | 0.5% |
New York share of Sunil's total US births 16.1%
Even split
159 of 989 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 5 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Sunil? ▼
Sunil has been given to 989 babies in the U.S. since 1962, according to SSA data. Its last appearance in the data was 2019. 42 babies were born in 1979, its single highest year.
When was Sunil most popular? ▼
Sunil was most popular in the 1970s decade with 300 total births. The single peak year was 1979.
Where is Sunil most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Sunil are New York (159 births), Illinois (34 births), California (33 births).
How long has the name Sunil been used? ▼
Sunil has been recorded in Social Security data since 1962, spanning 58 years of data through 2019.
What names are similar to Sunil? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Sunny, Sun, Sung, Sundeep, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Sunil's data
- Sunil's decade-level peak was the 1970s (300 total births); usage has since declined to 41 in the 2010s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Sunils (159 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York 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 Sunil
Nearby Names Like Sunil
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Sunil
Sunny Boy
#1048 4,506 births
Sun Boy
#4903 504 births
Sung Boy
444 births
Sundeep Boy
248 births
Sunday Boy
#7828 120 births
Compare Sunil side by side: Sunil vs Sunny Sunil vs Sun Sunil vs Sung
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Data Sources
Data as of June 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, 1962–2019 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Sunil: Baby Name Since 1962 - 989 Births, Peak 1979." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/sunil. 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 Sunil 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 June 2026.