Sonny

Sonny arrives grinning, a pet form so affectionate it long ago outgrew its given-name parents. Originally an English term of endearment for a small boy, it became its own name in early twentieth-century America, worn by boxers, crooners, and the unforgettable Sonny Corleone in The Godfather. The sound is pure sunshine with a working-class wink, two quick syllables that feel like a hand ruffling hair. It has surged on the English charts in the 2020s and crept steadily up American lists as parents lean into short, warm, nickname-first names. Sonny reads cheerful without being soft, the kind of name that enters a room laughing.