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Home › Baby Names Directory › Sunniva

Sunniva

♀ Girl

Pronounced soo-NEE-vah /suˈni.vɑ/Medium

Meaning: A Scandinavian form of the Old English Sunngifu — 'sun + gift; gift of the sun'Low

In 30 seconds: Gift of the sun: Sunniva is Scandinavian. Lyrical, radiant, and warm (said 'soo-NEE-vah').
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Origin LowScandinavian, English
MeaningA Scandinavian form of the Old English Sunngifu — 'sun + gift; gift of the sun'
U.S. rank (2025)#5219 ↗ Rising
2025 U.S. births25 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)
Peak year2023
Total births (all-time)≈ 178

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 202320052025

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Sunniva is a Scandinavian form of the Old English Sunngifu — 'sun + gift; gift of the sun'. Borne by St. Sunniva, the patron saint of western Norway. A lyrical, radiant name (said 'soo-NEE-vah'; nickname Sunny).

In the U.S. it appears in Scandinavian families. Rare, gift-of-the-sun at the root, and radiant.

Did you know? Sunniva is a Scandinavian form of the Old English Sunngifu, 'sun + gift; gift of the sun' — borne by St. Sunniva, the patron of western Norway — a lyrical, radiant name (said 'soo-NEE-vah').
Overall data confidence 50%
References — Sunniva — Old English/Norse etymology

Variations

SynnoveSynnøveSunneva

Nicknames

Sunny

Famous Bearers

  • Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Sunniva…

Solveig— a fellow Norse 'sun' girls' name
Sigrid— a sound-neighbor Norse girls' name
Astrid— another Norse girls' name
Geneva— a similarly popular pick
Symphony— a fellow English choice

Explore names like Sunniva

By themeenglishscandinavian
By meaningSunGift / Blessing

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Sunniva mean?

Sunniva is a Scandinavian form of Sunngifu — Old English 'sun + gift; gift of the sun'.

How do you pronounce Sunniva?

It's said soo-NEE-vah /suˈni.vɑ/ — three syllables, stress on the second.

Is Sunniva a boy or girl name?

Sunniva is a girl's name.

How popular is Sunniva?

Sunniva is a rare name in the U.S.

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