Fun Facts About the Name Sundance
- 80 babies named Sundance: U.S. records list 80 babies given the name Sundance from 1880 through 2025. Even 10 girls received the name Sundance - about 1 girl for every 7 boys.
What Does the Name Sundance Mean?
Sundance is an English word name meaning "sun dance." It is formed from the ordinary English words sun and dance; sun descends from Old English sunne, and dance came into English from Old French. The term Sun Dance is the English designation for a ceremonial dance practiced by various Indigenous peoples of the North American Plains, but the personal name is English in form rather than a borrowing of a specific Indigenous word. Symbolic readings that link the name to light or celebration are later associations, not the word's etymology.
Sundance Name History & Origins
Sundance is a compound rather than an inherited personal name, and its history as a given name is limited. The Wyoming town of Sundance is generally linked to the Sun Dance ceremony, and the outlaw Harry Longabaugh became known as the Sundance Kid after being held in the town's jail. That nickname circulated widely in accounts of the American West, and the 1969 film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid gave it a lasting place in popular culture. The given name Sundance is rare and appears mainly in English-speaking countries; it is best understood as a word name drawn from the English term for the ceremony rather than as a traditional name with a long lineage.
How Popular is the Name Sundance?
Sundance 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 1978. Its best rank was #3,817 in 1978.
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 | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | #18,140 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1977 | #11,076 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #13,646 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1996 | #10,347 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1995 | #10,132 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1980 | #6,150 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1979 | #5,297 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1978 | #3,817 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1977 | #4,536 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1976 | #4,866 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1975 | #5,377 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1973 | #5,789 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1971 | #4,850 | 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 Sundance 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 desire to inspire and lead, to control other's affairs. You are giving, courageous and bold, action oriented,energetic and strong willed. You want to make a difference in the world, and this attitude often attracts you to cultural interests, politics, social issues, and the cultivation of your creative talents.
✦ Sundance's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Sundance's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.