Sonny
Meaning of Sonny
Sonny bursts onto the scene like a pocket-size ray of sol, and that makes perfect sense—his roots lie in the English word “son,” an endearing tag parents once whispered to their little boys, while in Latin lands he often nods to “Santo” or “Santino,” tiny saints wrapped in family love. Over the decades he has danced up and down the U.S. charts, yet he never disappears, much like the steady sunrise his sound evokes. Pop culture keeps his vibe fresh: jazz legend Sonny Rollins riffs through the name, Sonny Bono adds a wink of showbiz charm, and even the fictional Sonny Corleone reminds us the name can swagger with cinematic fire. Altogether, Sonny feels warm, friendly, and forever young—a name that tells a child, “You are my sunshine” every time it’s spoken.
Pronunciation
English
- Pronunced as SUH-nee (/ˈsʌni/)
U.S. Popularity Chart
States Popularity Chart
Similar Names to Sonny
Notable People Named Sonny
| Sonny Barger, an American outlaw biker, helped found the Hells Angels Oakland charter, unified and incorporated the club, became its iconic face, and wrote books and appeared on screen. |
| Sonny William Williams is a New Zealand professional boxer and former rugby league and union player, the second to represent New Zealand in union after league and one of just 44 to win the Rugby World Cup twice. |
| Sonny Liston was an American heavyweight boxer famed for his intimidating power and long reach, who won the undisputed title with a first round knockout of Floyd Patterson and became the first WBC champion. |
| Walter Theodore Sonny Rollins is a retired American jazz tenor saxophonist considered one of the most important and influential figures in jazz. |
| Louis Matthew Sonny Lubick is a retired American football coach who led Colorado State University from 1993 to 2007, won or shared six conference titles, guided the team to nine bowl games, and was named Sports Illustrated National Coach of the Year in 1994. |
| Sonny Bono was an American singer, songwriter, actor, and politician who rose to fame with Cher as Sonny and Cher and later served as mayor of Palm Springs and a United States congressman from California. |
| Sonny Gray is an American MLB pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals, having previously pitched for the Oakland Athletics, New York Yankees, Cincinnati Reds, and Minnesota Twins. |
| Sonny Stitt was an American bebop and hard bop saxophonist with a warm tone who recorded over 100 albums and was dubbed the Lone Wolf as he forged his own sound beyond early Charlie Parker comparisons. |
| Sonny James was an American country star nicknamed the Southern Gentleman, famed for Young Love, a record run of 16 straight number one hits, and his 2007 Country Music Hall of Fame induction. |
| Alex Aleck Miller, later known as Sonny Boy Williamson II, was an influential American blues harmonica player, singer and songwriter active in the 1950s and 1960s. |
| Sonny Jurgensen is an American former NFL quarterback who played 18 seasons with the Eagles and Washington after starring at Duke, was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1983, and later became a longtime radio color commentator. |
| Sonny Terry, born Saunders Terrell, was an American Piedmont blues and folk musician famed for an energetic harmonica style with whoops, hollers, and train and fox hunt imitations. |
| Silas Alexander Sonny Utz III was an American football fullback who played in the CFL for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and was in the NFL with the Dallas Cowboys after playing at Virginia Tech. |
| William Sonny Criss was an American jazz musician. |
| Sonny Greenwich is a Canadian jazz guitarist who has played major stages like Carnegie Hall and collaborated with Charles Lloyd, Wayne Shorter, Pharoah Sanders, McCoy Tyner, Chick Corea, John Handy, and Sun Ra. |
