Sulton
Derived from the Arabic word "sultan," meaning sovereign or ruler.
Name Census estimates that about 10 living Americans carry the first name Sulton. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Sulton today is around 50 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Sulton births was 1976 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Sulton. 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 Sulton. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
10
~ 1 in 34,275,434 Americans
Peak year
1976
6 babies that year
Average age
50
years old
1979 SSA rank
#6,955
Tracked since 1976
Popularity
Sulton: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Sulton 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 Sulton during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 11 | 0 | 11 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Sulton
The given name Sulton is derived from the Arabic word "Sultan," which means "authority" or "ruler." Its origin can be traced back to the medieval Islamic empires that ruled over vast territories across the Middle East, North Africa, and parts of Europe and Asia.
The earliest recorded use of the name Sulton dates back to the 9th century CE, when the Abbasid Caliphate was at its peak. During this time, the title "Sultan" was used to refer to the ruler or sovereign of a Muslim state. It became a popular name among the ruling classes and nobility, reflecting their desire for power and authority.
In the 11th century, the Seljuk Turks adopted the title "Sultan" for their rulers, and it gained widespread use throughout the Islamic world. The name Sulton was particularly prevalent in regions under Seljuk rule, including modern-day Turkey, Iran, and parts of Central Asia.
One of the most famous historical figures with the name Sulton was Sultan Mehmed II, also known as Mehmed the Conqueror (1432-1481). He was the Ottoman Sultan who conquered Constantinople in 1453, marking the end of the Byzantine Empire and the beginning of the Ottoman Empire's golden age.
Another notable figure was Sultan Saladin (1137-1193), the first Sultan of Egypt and Syria, and a renowned Muslim military leader. He is best known for his successful campaigns against the Crusaders and his recapture of Jerusalem in 1187.
In the Indian subcontinent, the Mughal Empire, which ruled from the 16th to the 19th century, also used the title "Sultan" for their rulers. One of the most famous Mughal Sultans was Sultan Akbar (1542-1605), who is renowned for his religious tolerance, military conquests, and patronage of art and architecture.
Another historical figure worth mentioning is Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said (1940-2020), the former Sultan of Oman. He was widely respected for his role in modernizing Oman and promoting its development during his reign from 1970 until his death.
In the present day, the name Sulton continues to be used in various Muslim communities around the world, particularly in regions with a strong Islamic cultural heritage. It remains a popular choice for parents seeking to honor their cultural roots and convey a sense of authority and leadership.
People
Sulton + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Sulton 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
Sulton: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Sulton?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 10 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Sulton 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 34,275,434 US residents.
Is Sulton a common name?
We classify Sulton as "Very Rare". It ranks above 28.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 11 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Sulton most popular?
The single biggest year for Sulton was 1976, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Sulton is about 50 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 Sulton in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Sulton a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Sulton 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 Sulton still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Sulton 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 Sulton 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 common is the name Sulton?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans are named Sulton at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.