Sugar
A sweet term of endearment for someone beloved or cherished.
Name Census estimates that about 161 living Americans carry the first name Sugar. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 74.6% of registrations being female. The average person named Sugar today is around 48 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Sugar births was 1971 (11 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Sugar. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
161
~ 1 in 2,128,909 Americans
Peak year
1971
11 babies that year
Average age
48
years old
1981 SSA rank
#3,822
Tracked since 1951
Gender
Gender distribution for Sugar
Sugar is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 181 total registrations, 46 (25.4%) were male and 135 (74.6%) were female.
Sugar as a male name
- Ranked #3,822 in 1981
- 11 male births in 1981
- Peak: 1981 (11 births)
Sugar as a female name
- Ranked #18,554 in 2016
- 5 female births in 2016
- Peak: 1971 (11 births)
Popularity
Sugar: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Sugar from the 1950s through to the 2010s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 72 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Sugar by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Sugar during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Sugar
The given name Sugar is a relatively modern invention, originating in the English language in the 20th century. It is derived from the common noun "sugar," which refers to the sweet crystalline carbohydrate obtained from various plants, particularly sugarcane and sugar beets. The word "sugar" itself has its roots in the Sanskrit शर्करा (śarkarā), which was borrowed into Arabic as sukkar and eventually made its way into English via French and Italian.
The name Sugar was likely chosen for its connotations of sweetness, charm, and affection. It reflects a trend in English-speaking cultures of bestowing unconventional and playful names on children, often drawing inspiration from everyday objects or concepts. While it may seem unusual to some, the name Sugar has gained a modest following, particularly in the United States.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sugar can be found in the case of Sugar Ray Robinson, the legendary American professional boxer. He was born Walker Smith Jr. in 1921 but acquired the nickname "Sugar" for his sweet boxing style and charming personality. The name stuck, and he became widely known as Sugar Ray Robinson throughout his illustrious career, which spanned from the 1940s to the 1960s.
Another notable figure named Sugar was Sugar Pie DeSanto, an American blues and R&B singer who was active in the 1960s and beyond. Born Umpeylia Marsema Balinton in 1940, she adopted the stage name Sugar Pie as a tribute to her sweet vocal style and charismatic stage presence.
In the realm of literature, Sugar appeared as the name of a character in the novel "Sugar" by American writer Bernice L. McFadden, published in 2000. The book tells the story of a woman named Sugar, who was given the name as a symbol of her mother's hopes for a sweet life, despite the harsh realities they faced.
Another notable figure with the name Sugar was Sugar Ramos, a Cuban professional boxer who was active in the 1960s and 1970s. Born Ultiminio Ramos in 1939, he earned the nickname "Sugar" for his swift and stylish boxing techniques.
Finally, Sugar Shane Mosley, an American professional boxer, was born Shane Mosley in 1971. He acquired the nickname "Sugar" for his smooth and sweet boxing style, and it became an integral part of his ring identity throughout his successful career.
While not a traditional name by any means, Sugar has found its place in popular culture, often associated with qualities of sweetness, charm, and affection. Its unusual nature has made it a memorable and distinctive choice for parents seeking a unique and playful name for their child.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Sugar
People
Sugar + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Sugar as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with S
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Sugar: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Sugar?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 161 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Sugar going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 2,128,909 US residents.
Is Sugar a common name?
We classify Sugar as "Very Rare". It ranks above 71.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 181 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Sugar most popular?
The single biggest year for Sugar was 1971, when 11 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Sugar is about 48 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Sugar a female name?
Yes, 74.6% of people registered as Sugar in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.