Name of the Week: Sonny

Origin:

Sonny started life as a familial nickname derived from the word "son". Much like Buddy, Sonny was often used by adult men to address younger men or boys.  The homophone Sunny (used more as a unisex name) derives directly from the adjective meaning "like the sun", but is commonly found as a nickname in India for names such as Sunil, Sundeep and Sunita.

Usage:

Sonny became used as a nickname in the 19th century, but its use as a formal given name in Britain dates first to 1894 when two boys were given the name in the England and Wales Birth Index, followed by six more in the next five years.  The impetus for this sudden use of Sonny as a formal name was likely The Story of Sonny Sahib (1894) by Sara Jeannette Duncan. First published in The Youth’s Companion (Boston) between 12 July and 16 August 1894, the serialised story told the tale of a young British boy, son of an officer, who is saved by his ayah during the Sepoy Rebellion and raised in her village.  As we can see from the "New Books" review section in The Dundee Advertiser on 29 November 1894 (see image, right), Sonny Sahib was available to buy as a short book in Britain from at least the end of 1894 and was favourably reviewed.  In Scotland, Sonny was first registered in 1926.  Births in the England and Wales Birth Index: 1840s: 1850s: 1860s: 1870s: 1880s: 1890s: 1900s: 1910s: 1920s: 1930s: 1940s: 1950s: 1960s: 1970s: 0 births 0 births 0 births 0 births 0 births 8 births 15 births 16 births 36 births 42 births 30 births 35 births 92 births 180 births There was a brief spike in the name in 1929 and 1930, most likely inspired by the 1929 film Sonny Boy. The notable rise in the 1960s and 1970s can be attributed to several things in popular culture, including singer Salvatore "Sonny" Bono (1935-98), one half of duo Sonny and Cher; character Santino "Sonny" Corleone in Mario Puzo's 1969 novel The Godfather and its 1972 film adaptation, and the 1976 folk song Sonny's Dream.  By 1996, Sonny ranked in the top 250 in England and Wales and saw a gradual rise. In 2004, singer Sophie Ellis-Bexter named her eldest son Sonny which coincided (perhaps not uncoincidentally) with the name's highest rise over the last two decades.  Sonny first entered the top 100 in England and Wales in 2012 (at #90) where it remained until 2016, returning again in 2018 at #99 with 640 births.  In Scotland, Sonny entered the top 250 in 2001 but has only ranked in the top 100 twice: 2015 at #91 (72 births) and 2017 at #85 (70 births).  In 2018, Sonny ranked #104 with 58 births in Scotland. In Northern Ireland, it ranked #151 with 16 births.

Famous Bearers:

History: * Albert "Sonny" Cunha (1879–1933), Hawaiian composer. * Joseph "Sonny" Burke (1914–1980), American big band leader. Contemporary: * Albert "Sonny" Burgess (1929–2017), rockabilly singer and guitarist. * Christian "Sonny" Jurgensen (born 1934), American Hall-of-Fame National Football League quarterback. * Salvatore "Sonny" Bono (1935-1998), American singer. * Charles "Sonny" Ates (1935–2010), retired American racecar driver. * Sonny Curtis (born 1937), country and pop singer-songwriter. * Sonny Sanders (1939–2016), American soul music singer-songwriter, arranger, and producer * Paul "Sonny" Sandoval (born 1974), lead singer of rock band P.O.D.. * Sonny Bill Williams (born 1985), New Zealand former professional rugby league and rugby union player. * Sonny Flood (born 1989), British actor. * Sonny Gray (born 1989), Major League Baseball pitcher. Literature and Other Media: * Santino "Sonny" Corleone, a character in Mario Puzo's 1969 novel The Godfather and its 1972 film adaptation. * James "Sonny" Crockett, an undercover police detective in the action drama television series Miami Vice (1984-1990). * Sonny Weaver, Jr., main character of the 2014 film Draft Day, played by Kevin Costner. * Sonny, a robot in the 2004 film I, Robot. * Dominick "Sonny" Carisi, Jr., a detective on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

Variants:

Sunny, Sonnie

Pronunciation:

SƏN-ee [key]

Possible longer forms:

Santiago, Santino, Sandor, Santos, Soren, Sullivan

Sibling Names:

Zara     Thea     Robyn     Zoe     Cora     Delilah Flynn     Jesse     Dexter     Austin     Ellis     Blake

Name Lists:

Lively Lads     Guys and Dolls

 

If you like Sonny you may also like:   Brody, Rocco, Wyatt, Vinny, Ray, Rowan, Teddy, Caleb, Bobby, Leon

Thanks to Chamali for requesting this name.