How to say it
SUN · ny
/ˈsʌn.i/
Feminine
Sunny
Sunshine, cheerful
What it means
An English word name from sunny: bright, warm, and cheerful.
Sunny is a word name lifted straight from the weather and the mood, bright, warm, and good-natured. It has long been used as an affectionate nickname and now stands on its own, the cheerful, feminine-leaning counterpart to the boys' Sonny. It reads upbeat and unpretentious, in the same disposition-name family as Joy and Merry.
Popularity over time
peaked at #370 in 2024, currently #390 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Spelling
Sunny is the cheerful, feminine-leaning spelling; Sonny is the boys' nickname.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Sunny Hostin American lawyer and co-host of The View
Spelling variants
- Sunnie
- Sonny
- Sunshine
Names with the same feeling
See Sunny from another angle
By meaning
By style