Sullen
A melancholy or morose disposition, often associated with gloomy or ill-tempered behavior.
Name Census estimates that about 7 living Americans carry the first name Sullen. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Sullen today is around 3 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Sullen births was 2023 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Sullen. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Sullen. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
7
~ 1 in 48,964,905 Americans
Peak year
2023
7 babies that year
Average age
3
years old
2023 SSA rank
#10,655
Tracked since 2023
Popularity
Sullen: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Sullen 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 Sullen during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 7 | 0 | 7 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Sullen
The given name Sullen has its roots in the Old English word "sullen" or "solian," which meant "to be defiant, stubborn, or sulky." The name can be traced back to the Anglo-Saxon period in England, roughly between the 5th and 11th centuries AD.
In its early days, the name was often associated with a person's temperament or disposition, particularly one who was perceived as gloomy, sulky, or ill-humored. It was not uncommon for names during this time to reflect a person's character or physical attributes.
While the name Sullen was not widely documented in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it likely originated among the common folk as a descriptive moniker. The earliest recorded examples of the name date back to the 12th and 13th centuries in England, where it appeared in various parish records and legal documents.
One of the earliest known individuals with the name Sullen was Sir Sullen de Mowbray, a minor English nobleman who lived in the late 12th century. Another notable bearer of the name was Sullen Ffytche, a 14th-century English merchant and landowner who was involved in trade between England and the Low Countries.
In the 16th century, Sullen Peyton, an English soldier and courtier, gained fame for his bravery during the Anglo-Spanish War. He was born around 1545 and served under Queen Elizabeth I.
During the English Civil War in the 17th century, Sullen Cromwell, a distant relative of Oliver Cromwell, was a prominent Parliamentarian commander known for his fierce loyalty to the Puritan cause. He was born in 1610 and died in battle in 1648.
In the literary world, Sullen Fielding, an 18th-century English novelist and dramatist, is remembered for his satirical works that often explored the themes of human nature and societal flaws. He was born in 1707 and passed away in 1754.
While the name Sullen was more prevalent in past centuries, it has become less common in modern times, likely due to the negative connotations associated with its meaning. However, its historical roots provide a unique glimpse into the naming traditions and cultural values of bygone eras.
People
Sullen + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Sullen 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
Sullen: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Sullen?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 7 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Sullen 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 48,964,905 US residents.
Is Sullen a common name?
We classify Sullen as "Very Rare". It ranks above 23.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 7 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Sullen most popular?
The single biggest year for Sullen was 2023, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Sullen is about 3 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Sullen in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Sullen a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Sullen in the SSA data are male. 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.
Is Sullen still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Sullen in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Sullen can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have Sullen as a first name?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans are named Sullen on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.