Fun Facts About the Name Sufyan
- 646 babies named Sufyan: U.S. records list 646 babies given the name Sufyan from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Sufyan Mean?
Sufyan (Arabic سُفْيَان) is an Arabic masculine given name. The meaning usually given for it is "one who walks swiftly" or "swift of pace." This comes from a verb in the root s-f-n that classical Arabic dictionaries connect with hastening and quick movement. The name is not an everyday word in modern Arabic, and the same root also yields a plant name, so the derivation is not completely settled.
Other words built on the same root exist, such as safīnah, "ship," which shows the range of the root but is not part of the name's meaning. The familiar gloss "swift" is a customary reading of the root rather than a translation of an ordinary noun.
Sufyan Name History & Origins
Sufyan is an old Arabic name that was already in use among the tribes of Arabia before Islam. Its best-known early bearer is Abu Sufyan ibn Harb, a leader of the Quraysh of Mecca who opposed the Prophet Muhammad and later accepted Islam; his son Mu'awiya founded the Umayyad caliphate. The name also appears in the early Umayyad line, where Sufyan was used as a personal name.
Two early Muslim scholars named Sufyan are especially well documented. Sufyan al-Thawri (died 778) was a jurist and traditionist of Kufa remembered for his legal thought and ascetic life, and Sufyan ibn Uyaynah (died 814) was a hadith teacher in Mecca. The name recurs in Arabic biographical works of the first Islamic centuries.
As Arabic spread with Islam, the name was adopted in Turkey, Iran, South Asia, and North Africa, taking local forms such as Süfyan in Turkish. In Arabic it is written سُفْيَان and is used as a given name for boys.
How Popular is the Name Sufyan?
Sufyan has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2025. Its best rank was #2,252 in 2025.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #2,252 | 63 | 0.0037% |
| 2024 | #2,819 | 46 | 0.0027% |
| 2023 | #5,427 | 18 | 0.0011% |
| 2022 | #3,142 | 39 | 0.0022% |
| 2021 | #4,906 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 2020 | #3,798 | 28 | 0.0016% |
| 2019 | #4,213 | 25 | 0.0014% |
| 2018 | #3,293 | 35 | 0.0019% |
| 2017 | #3,577 | 31 | 0.0017% |
| 2016 | #5,527 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2015 | #3,762 | 29 | 0.0015% |
| 2014 | #3,213 | 35 | 0.0018% |
| 2013 | #4,295 | 23 | 0.0012% |
| 2012 | #4,512 | 22 | 0.0012% |
| 2011 | #5,401 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2010 | #5,442 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2009 | #5,518 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2008 | #6,709 | 13 | 0.0006% |
| 2007 | #6,218 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 2006 | #11,867 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2005 | #4,605 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 2004 | #5,453 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2003 | #5,008 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 2002 | #5,361 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 2001 | #7,430 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2000 | #5,007 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1999 | #6,448 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1998 | #5,125 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1997 | #10,607 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1996 | #6,421 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1987 | #6,839 | 6 | 0.0003% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Sufyan Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are spiritually intense and can sting or charm. Your name brings love and new starts into life and attracts money. In business, you are the creator and promoter of original ideas and usually enjoy considerable financial success. Emergencies may raise your intuitive abilities in order to resolve conflict or situation. You become very creative under the pressure, and have quite original ideas to make the best out of it.
You are seeking freedom, opportunities to enjoy life: to make love, to go places and to do things. You are very adventurous and willing to take risk to achieve your objectives. New ways and new experiences can't satisfy your restless nature. One adventure leads you to another. You are honest and fair, because you know that this is the only way to receive justice and honesty from other people. But your personal growth is vital for you, and it is difficult to be tied down by rules and obligations. Your restless spirit might best controlled by choosing the field of work that meet your demand for action and adventure.
✦ Sufyan's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Sufyan's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.