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.
- #5,174 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 989
- born since 1962
- 1970s
- peak 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.
- #5,174 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- 989 born since 1962
- 1970s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Sunil ranks #5,174 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 989 born since 1962, peaking in the 1970s.
- #5,174 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 989
- born since 1962
- 1970s
- peak decade
Sunil's 989 recorded births place it above 88.62% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 5 jurisdictions, led by New York.
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 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
1970s is the heaviest window (300 births, 30% of the file).
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 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% |
159 of 989 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 5 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Sunil? ▼
Where does Sunil sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Sunil most popular? ▼
Where is Sunil most popular? ▼
How long has the name Sunil been used? ▼
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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
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
Compare Sunil side by side: Sunil vs Sunny Sunil vs Sun Sunil vs Sung
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Sunil: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1979)
Similar record span (~57 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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).
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 August 2026.