Sunshine
Girl name · #2936 in 2025 · Uniqueness 80/100
In 2025, 57 baby girls were named Sunshine, placing it at #2936 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #2964, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 31,579 girls born in 2025 was named Sunshine.
Babies named Sunshine per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
The 120-year story
Sunshine first appears in the Social Security records in 1905, when 5 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1975, when 324 girls were named Sunshine — good for #533 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Sunshine against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Sunshine in class?
Sunshine scores 80 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "rare" band. A high score means genuine rarity — your Sunshine will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Sunshine is most common
State-level data for Sunshine is sparse in 2025 — the name's footprint is too small for most states to report (the SSA suppresses counts under 5 per state for privacy).
Names like Sunshine
Statistically, parents drawn to Sunshine tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Katharine, Susannah, Kristine, Suzanna, and Adrienne.
KatharineSusannahKristineSuzannaAdrienneCorrieCarrieCharity
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Sunshine | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 57 | #2933 |
| 2024 | 66 | #2637 |
| 2023 | 77 | #2352 |
| 2022 | 69 | #2554 |
| 2021 | 72 | #2460 |
| 2020 | 75 | #2341 |
| 2019 | 65 | #2651 |
| 2018 | 73 | #2438 |
| 2017 | 56 | #2925 |
| 2016 | 52 | #3139 |
| 2015 | 58 | #2964 |
| 2014 | 46 | #3425 |
| 2013 | 63 | #2726 |
| 2012 | 70 | #2568 |
| 2011 | 62 | #2796 |
| 2010 | 74 | #2493 |
| 2009 | 68 | #2672 |
| 2008 | 75 | #2511 |
| 2007 | 88 | #2231 |
| 2006 | 65 | #2728 |
| 2005 | 109 | #1790 |
| 2004 | 86 | #2100 |
| 2003 | 78 | #2203 |
| 2002 | 92 | #1915 |
| 2001 | 78 | #2115 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Sunshine a popular girl name?
Sunshine ranked #2936 among girls in 2025 with 57 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #2964.
When was the name Sunshine most popular?
Sunshine peaked in 1975, when 324 American girls received the name (ranked #533 that year). Since 1975 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Sunshine?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 31,579 newborn American girls was named Sunshine. It scores 80/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.