Sundee
A feminine name derived from the word "Sunday", suggesting a cheerful or sunny disposition.
Name Census estimates that about 245 living Americans carry the first name Sundee. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Sundee today is around 55 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Sundee births was 1968 (23 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Sundee. 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
245
~ 1 in 1,398,997 Americans
Peak year
1968
23 babies that year
Average age
55
years old
1985 SSA rank
#8,227
Tracked since 1951
Popularity
Sundee: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Sundee from the 1950s through to the 1980s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 119 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
Sundee 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 Sundee during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Sundees live
Origin
Meaning and history of Sundee
The name Sundee has its origins in the Sanskrit language, which was the classical language of ancient India and the liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. The name is derived from the Sanskrit word "sundara," which means "beautiful" or "handsome." This suggests that the name was originally given to children as a blessing or wish for their beauty and attractiveness.
In ancient Hindu texts, such as the Vedas and Upanishads, there are references to the concept of beauty and its connection to the divine. The name Sundee may have been used to honor this spiritual aspect of beauty, as well as the physical aspect. However, there are no specific historical records or ancient texts that directly mention the name Sundee.
The earliest recorded examples of the name Sundee can be traced back to the medieval period in India, particularly in regions where Sanskrit was widely used. One notable figure who bore this name was Sundee Devi, a Hindu princess and poet who lived in the 16th century. She is known for her contributions to the Bhakti movement, a spiritual renaissance that emphasized devotional worship and love for the divine.
Another historical figure named Sundee was Sundee Maharaj, a renowned Sufi mystic and spiritual teacher who lived in the 17th century. He was highly respected for his wisdom and teachings on the path to enlightenment, and his followers established a spiritual order known as the Sundee Silsila.
In the 19th century, Sundee Lal was a prominent Indian social reformer and educator who worked tirelessly to promote education and emancipation for women in British India. He established several schools and advocated for the rights of women and the underprivileged.
Moving to more recent times, Sundee Mandava was an Indian-American computer scientist and entrepreneur who co-founded the software company Trigo Technologies in the late 20th century. She was recognized for her contributions to the field of artificial intelligence and her efforts in promoting diversity and inclusion in the tech industry.
It is worth noting that while the name Sundee has its roots in Sanskrit and Indian culture, it has also gained popularity in various other parts of the world, particularly among communities influenced by Indian diaspora or those who appreciate the name's meaning and connection to beauty and spirituality.
People
Sundee + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Sundee 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
Sundee: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Sundee?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 245 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Sundee 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 1,398,997 US residents.
Is Sundee a common name?
We classify Sundee as "Very Rare". It ranks above 76.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 282 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Sundee most popular?
The single biggest year for Sundee was 1968, when 23 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Sundee is about 55 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Sundee a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Sundee 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.