Sun: meaning “an obedient child”, origin & popularity

Meaning & origin

What it means

One Korean interpretation is “an obedient child.”

Where it comes from

An origin associated with this spelling is Korean.

The story

Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1902. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.

From dated birth records

Sun through the years

Babies since 1880: 1,007; 504 boys · 503 girls
Most popular year: 2022; 28 babies
2025: 18; #6,754 for boys · #16,984 for girls
2021–25 vs 2016–20: +53%; Rising fast

Boys Girls

Sun in U.S. Social Security birth records, 1902–2025, per million births of each sex. Years with fewer than five births for a sex are not published and appear as zero. Use the arrow keys to step through years.

By the numbers

In 2025, this name appeared in 13 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 6,754 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 66.0% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. It also appeared in 5 birth records for girls in 2025. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 9,188 as a first name in 2020; 36,735 as a surname in 2020.

From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.

Sun’s family of names

In Filipino usage, Sun as a surname has a related form in SON. In Filipino usage, Sun as a surname has a related form in SON. In Filipino usage, Sun as a surname has a related form in SOON.

Walk Sun’s family in the name graph

Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.

Hover or tab through the constellation to see how each name is related. Bigger dots are names more people in the U.S. share.

Around the world

Sun has relatives in 4 languages. Lines run from its Korean roots to each of them.

5 related names in 4 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.

Each dot marks where a language is rooted, not where people with the name live today. Bigger dots hold more names. Dots on the border stand for languages further away. Language locations from Glottolog (CC BY 4.0); map from Natural Earth.

Nicknames & forms 3

Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.

Spellings & scripts 3

The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.

Across languages 6

Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.

People named Sun

Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.

Similar names

If you love Sun, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.

Korean · Modern

Sibling ideas

Names that share Sun’s feel without repeating its first letter or rhyming with it.

A brother for Sun

A sister for Sun

Your shortlist

Sun