Sultan
How to say it: sul-TAHN · /sʌlˈtɑn/
From Arabic 'sultan' meaning 'ruler, king' - used as a title and strong given name.
Sultan was the 1,091st most popular boys’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 161 babies (Social Security Administration). The 2020s are its busiest decade so far, its births are up 2.2-fold in ten years, and it is projected to rise to #927 by 2030.
Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · Insee 2025 data, published July 2026 · How we compute these figures
Key facts
| Rank among boys’ names, 2025 | #1,091 |
|---|---|
| Babies born in 2025 | 161 |
| Share of births | 1 in 20,592 |
| Peak decade | 2020s |
| Change over 10 years | ×2.2 |
| Projected rank for 2030 (estimate) | #927 |
| In France, 2025 | #719 among boys’ names, 45 births |
Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA), Insee (France). How we compute these figures.
Its life, decade by decade
Almost all of its use has arrived in recent decades. Now at its best in the 2020s, it looks set to keep rising.
What goes with it
Bold and breathy with a strong royal air. Emir pairs nicely in style.
In the classroom
In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Sultan is about under 1 in 200.
Around the world
This spelling is used in Arabic, English, French, Hindi, Russian, Turkish.
In France: #719 for boys in 2025.
England and Wales: #362.
Famous people named Sultan
- Sultan Kösen (born 1982)Tallest living human
- Sultan bin Salman Al Saud (born 1956)Saudi Arabian astronaut and politician
- Sultan Al-Ghannam (born 1994)Saudi Arabian footballer
From Wikidata and Wikipedia
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