Find out how popular the last name Sonny is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Sonny.

Sonny, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Sonny surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sonny in America

Sonny is the 78567th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sonny surname appeared 243 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Sonny.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sonny to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Sonny

The surname "Sonny" is believed to have originated in India, where it was initially used as a term of endearment or a nickname for a son or young man. The name is derived from the Sanskrit word "sundara," which means "beautiful" or "handsome."

In India, the use of "Sonny" as a surname can be traced back to the 16th century, when it was adopted by some families to identify their lineage. The name was particularly prevalent in regions such as Punjab, Rajasthan, and Gujarat, where it was often associated with Hindu or Sikh communities.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "Sonny" can be found in the Ain-i-Akbari, a 16th-century historical record commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Akbar. This manuscript mentions several individuals with the surname, suggesting its widespread use during that period.

As Indian communities migrated to different parts of the world, the surname "Sonny" traveled with them. In the 19th century, it began appearing in British colonial records and documents, particularly in regions such as East Africa and the Caribbean, where Indian communities had established themselves.

Notable historical figures with the surname "Sonny" include:

1. Hazrat Mir Sonny (1562-1638), a Sufi saint and mystic from Punjab, renowned for his spiritual teachings and writings.
2. Maharaja Sonny Singh (1775-1823), a prominent ruler of the Sikh Empire in the early 19th century, known for his military prowess and territorial expansion.
3. Sir Sunny Sorabji (1892-1988), an Indian lawyer, judge, and civil servant who served as the Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court and the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Mumbai.
4. Sonny Mehta (1942-2019), an Indian-American editor and publisher who served as the CEO of Knopf Publishing Group and played a pivotal role in shaping the literary landscape of the 20th century.
5. Sonny Rollins (born 1930), an American jazz saxophonist and composer, widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians in the history of jazz.

It is worth noting that while the surname "Sonny" has its roots in India, it has also been adopted by individuals from various cultural backgrounds, particularly in English-speaking countries, where it may have been used as a nickname or a shortened version of other surnames.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sonny

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Sonny.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Sonny was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Sonny has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Sonny was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Sonny, please contact us.

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