Sundus
An Arabic feminine name meaning "soft and smooth".
Name Census estimates that about 605 living Americans carry the first name Sundus. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Sundus today is around 15 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Sundus births was 2017 (36 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Sundus. 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
605
~ 1 in 566,536 Americans
Peak year
2017
36 babies that year
Average age
15
years old
2024 SSA rank
#13,268
Tracked since 1991
Popularity
Sundus: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Sundus from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 272 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Sundus remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Sundus 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 Sundus during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Sundus' live
Origin
Meaning and history of Sundus
The name Sundus has its roots in the Arabic language and is derived from the word "sundus," which means "silk" or "fine cloth." Its origins can be traced back to the ancient Middle Eastern region, where the silk trade flourished and played a significant role in the cultural and economic fabric of the region.
The name's connection to silk suggests an association with elegance, luxury, and refinement. In the Arabic tradition, names often carry symbolic meanings or reflect desirable qualities, and the name Sundus evokes images of softness, beauty, and grace.
While the exact origin and first recorded use of the name Sundus remain uncertain, it has been present in Arabic literature and historical records for centuries. Some scholars believe that the name may have been mentioned in ancient Arabic poetry, which celebrated the beauty and elegance of silk garments.
One of the earliest known individuals with the name Sundus was Sundus bint al-Husayn, a renowned Arab poet who lived in the 7th century CE. Her poetry, which explored themes of love, loss, and the human condition, is still studied and celebrated today.
Another notable figure bearing the name Sundus was Sundus al-Ghadbaniya, a 9th-century Arab poet and musician from Baghdad. She was known for her skill in composing intricate verses and her mastery of the lute, contributing significantly to the cultural renaissance of the Abbasid era.
In the 12th century, Sundus bint Ahmad al-Baghdadi, a scholar and writer, gained recognition for her works on Islamic jurisprudence and her contributions to the intellectual discourse of her time.
During the Ottoman Empire, the name Sundus was associated with Sundus Hanım, a prominent figure in the imperial harem in the 16th century. She was known for her influential role in the palace and her patronage of the arts and literature.
More recently, Sundus Abd al-Aziz, a Palestinian journalist and writer born in 1950, has gained recognition for her work in promoting human rights and advocating for Palestinian causes through her writing and activism.
While these are just a few examples, the name Sundus has been carried by countless individuals throughout history, each leaving their unique mark and contributing to the rich tapestry of cultures and societies across the Middle Eastern region and beyond.
People
Sundus + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Sundus 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
Sundus: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Sundus?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 605 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Sundus 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 566,536 US residents.
Is Sundus a common name?
We classify Sundus as "Very Rare". It ranks above 86.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 612 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Sundus most popular?
The single biggest year for Sundus was 2017, when 36 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Sundus is about 15 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Sundus a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Sundus 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.