Sun - Name Meaning and Popularity -

Meaning of Sun

Sun, pronounced /sʌn/, is a unisex appellation in contemporary English, traced to the Old English sunne and ultimately to Proto-Germanic *sunnō. In Western cosmological and mythological frameworks, the sun has long functioned as the principal source of illumination, temporal regulation and biological sustenance—qualities that have informed its measured adoption within personal naming practices. Although comparatively uncommon, the name persists in United States birth records with steady occurrences since the early twentieth century, occupying rankings between roughly 800 and 950 in annual popularity indices over recent decades and registering nineteen instances in 2024. This monosyllabic designation exemplifies the onomastic phenomenon of repurposing a common noun as a personal identifier, reflecting an enduring Anglo-American predilection for nature-derived given names while accommodating bearers of any gender.