Sue
Primarily a girl's name of Hebrew origin with 144,523 recorded births. Also given to 519 boys.
Meaning & Origin
A diminutive of the female given name Susan and of related female given names; popular as a middle name.
Sue is a girl's and boy's baby name of Hebrew origin, a diminutive of Susan, which traces back through the Hebrew Shoshannah meaning 'lily' or 'rose.' Sue became popular as a stand-alone name in mid-century America.
Johnny Cash's classic song A Boy Named Sue turned the name into a touchstone of American folk humor. As a given name for girls, Sue carries the brisk, no-nonsense warmth of its era. It functions perfectly as a middle name, offering a clean, single-syllable anchor for longer first names.
EtymologyShow more
Names travel. They cross oceans, change spelling, shift pronunciation, and accumulate new associations with each culture that adopts them. Sue is rooted in the Hebrew tradition, but its presence in American naming since 1880 means it has been shaped by English phonetics, local customs, and the cultural context of the families who chose it.
With 144,523 recorded U.S. births, Sue has clearly resonated across communities. Names that reach this level of adoption typically carry a sound that works in multiple accents and cultural contexts — a kind of phonetic universality.
At a Glance
Popularity Over Time
Sue was #8197 twenty years ago and has since drifted to #8338, but its charm endures.
Popularity by Decade
| Decade | Births | Avg Rank | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 32 | #13558 | ▼ |
| 2010s | 147 | #8822 | ▼ |
| 2000s | 238 | #5768 | ▼ |
| 1990s | 522 | #2694 | ▼ |
| 1980s | 1,677 | #1060 | ▼ |
| 1970s | 3,821 | #527 | ▼ |
| 1960s | 21,602 | #196 | ▼ |
| 1950s | 38,852 | #108 | — |
| 1940s | 40,943 | #73 | ▲ |
| 1930s | 19,507 | #123 | ▲ |
| 1920s | 7,073 | #245 | ▲ |
| 1910s | 6,091 | #217 | ▲ |
| 1900s | 1,774 | #243 | ▲ |
| 1890s | 1,326 | #236 | ▲ |
| 1880s | 918 | #197 | — |
The Story of Sue
A Baby Boomer name
Peaking in 1947, Sue is a timeless Baby Boomer name. Girls named Sue are most likely born between 1937 and 1957.
How rare is Sue?
Only about 1 in every 276,923 babies born in 2024 was named Sue — a truly uncommon choice.
The journey through the decades
First appeared in the records in 1880, grew steadily over the decades, peaked in the 1940s with 40,943 births that decade, and has since become a rare, vintage choice.
Sue by the numbers
- Enough Sues to fill 2.1 football stadiums
- More Sues than the population of a small U.S. town
- Meeting one Sue per day would take 396 years
Year-by-Year Data
View complete yearly data(144 years, 1880–2024)
| Year | Births | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 13 | #8338 |
| 2023 | 9 | #11055 |
| 2022 | 5 | #17449 |
| 2021 | 5 | #17390 |
| 2019 | 6 | #15337 |
| 2018 | 16 | #7374 |
| 2017 | 10 | #10606 |
| 2016 | 12 | #9360 |
| 2015 | 13 | #8884 |
| 2014 | 15 | #8010 |
| 2013 | 26 | #5301 |
| 2012 | 13 | #9055 |
| 2011 | 19 | #6818 |
| 2010 | 17 | #7475 |
| 2009 | 25 | #5690 |
| 2008 | 17 | #7705 |
| 2007 | 23 | #6058 |
| 2006 | 22 | #6102 |
| 2005 | 21 | #5974 |
| 2004 | 14 | #8197 |
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration. Showing years with 5+ recorded births.
Sue as a Boy's Name
While overwhelmingly a girl's name, Sue has also been given to 519 boys in the U.S. since 1917.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sue a boy's or girl's name?
When was Sue most popular?
How popular is the name Sue?
Can Sue be used for both boys and girls?
Explore More
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration, 1880–2024