Declining since 2020, #10,107 for girls today.
Popularity of Sunflower since 1999
Babies named Sunflower per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1990s | 6 |
| 2000s | 0 |
| 2010s | 21 |
| 2020s | 81 |
Meaning & origin
Sunflower is a modern nature name that first appeared on the U.S. baby name charts in 1999. As of 2025, it ranked 10,107th in popularity, with approximately 1 in every 178,585 newborns receiving the name. The name reached its peak usage in 2021, though its trajectory has been falling since 2020. Sunflower remains an extremely uncommon choice, appealing to parents seeking a distinctive floral name with a sunny, cheerful vibe. Its sound and meaning align with other nature-inspired names like Lily, Daisy, and Rose, but it stands out for its direct reference to the iconic plant. The name has not yet appeared among the top names in any state, and its usage remains scattered across the U.S.
Sunflower is a modern invented name, drawn directly from the common English word for the tall, yellow-petaled plant of the genus Helianthus. The word itself combines 'sun' and 'flower,' with the name first recorded as a given name in the United States in 1999. Its use as a personal name likely reflects the broader trend of adopting nature and virtue words as names, particularly in the 1990s and 2000s.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Sunny, Sunnie, Flo, Lily
Sibling names for Sunflower
Names that share Sunflower's style, for a brother or sister.
