Sullivan

“Variant of O'Sullivan — descendant of Súileabhán ('dark-eyed one' (Irish))” — Irish origin

Boy's name · #314 in the US (2025) · Trending

Sullivan has appeared in US records since 1884 — best rank #314 (2025) · 15,635 babies named Sullivan all-time · 1 in 1,600 boys born in 2025.

Around the world: about 1 in 960 boys in Canada (2024) · about 1 in 1,600 boys in New Zealand (2025) · about 1 in 1,600 boys in England & Wales (2025).

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 43 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Famous Sullivans

Sullivan Stapleton — Australian actor (born 1977)
Sullivan Ballou — Union Army officer (1829–1861)
Sullivan Walker — actor (1946-2012)
Sullivan Fortner — musical artist
Sullivan Chime — Nigerian politician

In stories & tradition

Sullivan — Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun

What Sullivans become

Among 29 notable people named Sullivan:

Entertainers appear 2× more often than among typical names — e.g. Sullivan Stapleton, Australian actor (born 1977).

Browse more boy names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.