Sonny is a common

nickname A nickname, in some circumstances also known as a sobriquet, or informally a "moniker", is an informal substitute for the proper name of a person, place, or thing, used to express affection, playfulness, contempt, or a particular character trait ...

and occasional

given name A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a f ...

. Often it can be a derivative of the English word "Son", a name derived from the Ancient Germanic element *sunn meaning "sun"; a nickname derived from the Italian names Salvatore, Santo, or Santino (mostly in North America amongst

Italian Americans Italian Americans () are Americans who have full or partial Italians, Italian ancestry. The largest concentrations of Italian Americans are in the urban Northeastern United States, Northeast and industrial Midwestern United States, Midwestern ...

); or the Slavic male name Slavon meaning "famous or glorious". Notable people with the name include:

Athletes

* Sonny Alvarado, Puerto Rican basketball player *Charles

Sonny Ates Charles "Sonny" Ates (March 28, 1935 – October 25, 2010) was an American racecar driver. Biography Ates was born in Sellersburg, Indiana. He raced in the USAC Championship Car series in the 1968–1970 seasons, with 15 career starts, includ ...

(1935–2010), retired American racecar driver *Erwin Sonny Bishop (born 1939), American football player *Shin'ichi

Sonny Chiba , known internationally as Sonny Chiba, was a Japanese actor and martial artist. Chiba was one of the first actors to achieve stardom through his skills in martial arts, initially in Japan and later to an international audience. Born in Fukuo ...

(1939–2021), Japanese martial artist and actor * Sonny Gray (born 1989), American baseball pitcher *Sonny Hendrawan, Indonesian basketball player - see

List of members of the FIBA Hall of Fame The FIBA Hall of Fame honors players who have shown exceptional skill, all-time great teams, all-time great Coach (basketball), coaches, referee (basketball), referees, executives, and other major contributors to the sport of basketball. Induct ...

* Sidney "Sonny" Hertzberg (1922–2005), American basketball player * Sonny Holland (1938-2022), American football coach and player *Ernest

Sonny Hutchins Ernest Lloyd "Sonny" Hutchins (May 17, 1929 – November 21, 2005) was a stock car driver who raced in NASCAR's Grand National/Winston Cup Series from 1955 to 1974. He died in 2005. Motorsports career results NASCAR ( key) (Bold – Pole p ...

(1929–2005), stock car driver *Christian Sonny Jurgensen (born 1934), American Hall-of-Fame National Football League quarterback * Sonny Liles (1919–2005), American football player *Charles

Sonny Liston Charles L. "Sonny" Liston ( – December 30, 1970), nicknamed "the Big Bear", was an American professional boxer who competed from 1953 to 1970. A dominant contender of his era, he became the undisputed world heavyweight champion in 1962 after k ...

(c. 1930–1970), American heavyweight boxer *Frank

Sonny Milano Frank "Sonny" Milano (born May 12, 1996) is an Americans, American professional ice hockey Winger (ice hockey), left winger who is currently playing for the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected by the Columbu ...

(born 1996), American ice hockey player *

Sonny M'Pokomandji Sonny M'Pokomandji (born 29 February 1948), nicknamed M'Pokson, is a retired Central African basketball player, air transport expert, and politician. He represented Central African Republic in the FIBA Africa Championship in 1968, 1970, and 1974. L ...

(born 1948), Central African former basketball player *Robert

Sonny Parker (basketball) Robert S. "Sonny" Parker (born March 22, 1955) is an American former professional basketball player who played small forward and shooting guard for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was drafted in the fir ...

(born 1955), American former basketball player *

Andreas Schönbächler Andreas Schönbächler (born 24 April 1966) is a Swiss freestyle skier and Olympic champion. He won a gold medal at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer Lillehammer () is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in th ...

, known as Sonny Schönbächler, Swiss freestyle skier and Olympic champion *Wilfred

Sonny Siebert Wilfred Charles "Sonny" Siebert (born January 14, 1937) is an American former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher from 1964 to 1975. He finished with a record of 140-114 and a 3.21 ERA. He threw a no-hitter on June 10, 1966, against the ...

(born 1937), American former baseball pitcher *Jan

Sonny Silooy Jan Jacobus "Sonny" Silooy (born 31 August 1963) is a Dutch former professional association football, footballer and football manager. He is currently the assistant coach with AFC Ajax (women), AFC Ajax. His last managing post was for the under- ...

(born 1963), Dutch former footballer *Anderson da Silva (born 1970), known as

Sonny Anderson Anderson da Silva (born 19 September 1970), better known as Sonny Anderson, is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as a striker. A prolific goalscorer at the club level, he was best known for his spells with Lyon, Monaco (he p ...

, Brazilian retired footballer *

Sonny Styles Alex "Sonny" Styles (born November 24, 2004) is an American college football linebacker for the Ohio State Buckeyes. Early life Styles attended Pickerington Central High School in Pickerington, Ohio, where he notched 88 tackles with one goin ...

(born 2004), American football player *

Son Heung Min Son Heung-min (; born 8 July 1992) is a South Korean professional association football, footballer who plays as a Forward (association football), forward for and Captain (association football), captains both club Tottenham Hotspur F.C., Totte ...

(born 1992), South Korean football player *

Sonny Weems Clarence "Sonny" Weems (born July 8, 1986) is an American professional basketball player for the Shenzhen Leopards of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). He played college basketball for the University of Arkansas and the University of Ar ...

(born 1986), American expatriate basketball player *

Sonny Bill Williams Sonny William Williams (born 3 August 1985) is a New Zealand heavyweight boxer, and a former professional rugby league and rugby union player. He is only the second person to represent New Zealand in rugby union after first playing for the cou ...

(born 1985), New Zealand former rugby league and rugby union player

Jazz musicians

*Saul

Sonny Berman Saul "Sonny" Berman (April 21, 1925 – January 16, 1947) was an American jazz trumpeter. Berman was born in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. He began touring at age sixteen and performed with Louis Prima, Harry James and Benny Goodman, but ...

(1925–1947), American trumpeter *Joseph

Sonny Burke Joseph Francis "Sonny" Burke (March 22, 1914 – May 31, 1980) was an American musical arranger, composer, Big Band leader and producer. Early life and career Born in Scranton, Pennsylvania to Francis P. Burke and Rhoda Nihany, Burke grew up in D ...

(1914–1980), American big band leader *Conrad

Sonny Clark Conrad Yeatis "Sonny" Clark (July 21, 1931 – January 13, 1963) was an American jazz pianist and composer who mainly worked in the hard bop idiom. Early life Clark was born and raised in Herminie, Pennsylvania, a coal mining town east of P ...

(1931–1963), American pianist *George Sonny Cohn (1925–2006), American trumpeter *William

Sonny Criss William "Sonny" Criss (23 October 1927 – 19 November 1977) was an American jazz musician. An Alto saxophone, alto saxophonist of prominence during the bebop era of jazz, he was one of many players influenced by Charlie Parker. Biography ...

(1927–1977), American saxophonist *Francis Sonny Dallas (1931–2007), American bassist *

Sonny Fortune Cornelius "Sonny" Fortune (May 19, 1939 – October 25, 2018) was an American jazz saxophonist. He played soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone saxophones, clarinet, and flute. Biography He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Af ...

(1939–2018), American saxophonist and flautist *Herbert Sonny Greenwich (born 1936), Canadian guitarist *

Sonny Greer William Alexander "Sonny" Greer (December 13, – March 23, 1982) was an American jazz drummer and vocalist, best known for his work with Duke Ellington. Early life and career Greer was born in Long Branch, New Jersey. There has been long-sta ...

(1895–1982), American drummer *Percival

Sonny Payne Sonny Payne (May 4, 1926 – January 29, 1979) was an American jazz drummer, best known for his work with Count Basie and Harry James. Biography Payne's father was Wild Bill Davis's drummer Chris Columbus. After early study with Vic Berton, ...

(1926–1979), American drummer *

Sonny Red Sylvester Kyner Jr. (December 17, 1932 – March 20, 1981), known as Sonny Red, was an American jazz alto saxophonist, flutist and composer associated with the hard bop idiom among other styles. Sonny Red played with Art Blakey, Curtis Fuller, ...

(1932–1981), American alto saxophonist *Walter Theodore

Sonny Rollins Walter Theodore "Sonny" Rollins (born September 7, 1930) is an American retired jazz tenor saxophonist who is widely recognized as one of the most important and influential jazz musicians. In a seven-decade career, Rollins recorded over sixt ...

(born 1930), American saxophonist *Warren Sonny Sharrock (1940–1994), American guitarist *Huey Sonny Simmons (1933–2021), American saxophonist and English horn player *

Sonny Stitt Sonny Stitt (born Edward Hammond Boatner Jr.; February 2, 1924 – July 22, 1982) was an American jazz saxophonist of the bebop/hard bop idiom. Known for his warm tone, he was one of the best-documented saxophonists of his era, recording over ...

(1924–1982), American saxophonist born Edward Boatner, Jr.

Other musicians

* Sonny Double 1, Welsh rapper * Sonny Black, English singer/songwriter born William Boazman * Salvatore

Sonny Bono Salvatore Phillip "Sonny" Bono ( ; February 16, 1935 – January 5, 1998) was an American singer, songwriter, actor, and politician. In partnership with his second wife, Cher, he formed the singing duo Sonny & Cher. A member of the Republican Pa ...

(1935–1998), American singer, record producer and politician * Albert Sonny Burgess (1929–2017), rockabilly singer and guitarist * Sonny Lim, Hawaiian musician and slack key guitar player. * Edwin Sonny Chillingworth (1932–1994), slack-key guitar player from Hawaii * Albert "Sonny" Cunha (1879–1933), Hawaiian composer *

Sonny Curtis Sonny Curtis (born May 9, 1937) is an American singer and songwriter. Known for his collaborations with Buddy Holly, he was a member of the Crickets and continued with the band after Holly's death. Curtis's best known compositions include " Wa ...

(born 1937), country and pop singer-songwriter *

Sonny Digital Sonny Corey Uwaezuoke (born March 5, 1991), better known by his stage name Sonny Digital, is an American record producer, rapper, and DJ.

(born 1991), American record producer, rapper, and DJ. * Sonny Emory (born 1962), freelance touring and studio drummer *

Sonny James Jimmie Hugh Loden (May 1, 1928February 22, 2016), known professionally as Sonny James, was an American country music singer and songwriter best known for his 1957 hit, " Young Love", topping both the ''Billboard'' Hot Country and Disk Jockey s ...

(1928–2016), stage name of American country music singer James Hugh Loden * Sonny Kay (born 1972), founder of the record label Gold Standard Laboratories * Sonny King (singer) (1922–2006), American lounge singer born Luigi Antonio Schiavone * Clyde Sonny Landreth (born 1951), American blues guitar player * Sonny Fredie Pedersen, Danish musician and actor * Sonny Sanders (1939–2016), American soul music singer-songwriter, arranger, and producer * Paul Sonny Sandoval (born 1974), lead singer of rock band P.O.D. *

Sonny Terry Saunders Terrell (October 24, 1911 – March 11, 1986), known as Sonny Terry, was an American Piedmont blues and folk musician, who was known for his energetic blues harmonica style, which frequently included vocal whoops and hollers and occas ...

(1911–1986), blind American blues musician born Saunders Terrell * Joseph Sonny West (1937–2022), American rockabilly guitarist and songwriter *

Sonny Boy Williamson I John Lee Curtis "Sonny Boy" Williamson (March 30, 1914 – June 1, 1948) was an American blues harmonica player and singer-songwriter. He is often regarded as the pioneer of the blues harp as a solo instrument. He played on hundreds of r ...

a.k.a. John Lee Williamson (1914–1948), blues singer and harmonica player *

Sonny Boy Williamson II Alex or Aleck Miller (originally Ford, possibly December 5, 1912 – May 24, 1965), known later in his career as Sonny Boy Williamson, was an American blues harmonica player, singer and songwriter. He was an early and influential blues harp s ...

a.k.a. Aleck Ford "Rice" Miller (c.1912–1965), blues singer and harmonica player * Sonny John Moore a.k.a. Skrillex, DJ Producer

Other

* Sonny Vaccaro, American former sports marketing executive *

Sonny Angara Juan Edgardo "Sonny" Manalang Angara (; born July 15, 1972) is a Filipino lawyer and politician who has served as the 37th Secretary of Education (Philippines), secretary of education since 2024. He has concurrently served as chairman of the ...

(born 1972), Filipino politician * Ralph Sonny Barger (1938–2022), founding member of the original Oakland, California, chapter of the Hells Angels motorcycle club * Feliciano "Sonny" Belmonte Jr. (born 1936), Filipino politician * Dominick Napolitano, also known as Sonny Black (1930–1981), capo in the Bonanno crime family * Al Indelicato, also known as Sonny Red (1931–1981), another capo in the Bonanno crime family, killed during the same gangland war, in which the two led opposite sides * Sonny Caldinez (1932–2022), Trinidadian actor * Sonny Flood (born 1989), English actor who plays Josh Ashworth on ''Hollyoaks'' * Sonny Grosso (1930–2020), police detective and movie producer from New York * John Franzese, Sr. (1917–2020), underboss of the Colombo crime family * William

Sonny Landham William M. "Sonny" Landham III (February 11, 1941 – August 17, 2017) was an American actor. He portrayed Billy Bear in ''48 Hrs.'' (1982), tracker Billy Sole in ''Predator (film), Predator'' (1987), and 'Chink' Weber in Lock Up (1989 film), '' ...

(1941–2017), American actor and stuntman *

Sonny Mehta Ajai Singh "Sonny" Mehta (9 November 1942McFadden, Robert D. (31 December 2019) ''The New York Times''. – 30 December 2019) was a British and American editor. Mehta was the editor-in-chief of Alfred A. Knopf and chairman of the Knopf Doubleday ...

(born Ajai Singh Mehta; 1942–2019), Indian book editor *

Gillespie V. Montgomery Gillespie V. "Sonny" Montgomery (August 5, 1920 – May 12, 2006) was an American soldier and politician from Mississippi who served in the Mississippi Senate and U.S. House of Representatives from 1967 to 1997. He was also a retired major genera ...

(1920–2006), American politician * George Sonny Perdue (born 1946), U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and former Governor of Georgia * Shridath Ramphal (1928–2024), commonly called "Sonny Ramphal" or "Sir Sonny", Guyanese politician and 2nd Commonwealth Secretary-General * Otis Sonny Shroyer (born 1935), American actor * Sonny Venkatrathnam(1938-2019), South African human rights activist. * Delbert Sonny West (1938–2017), American actor and stunt performer * Harold G. White (born 1965), mechanical engineer, aerospace engineer, and applied physicist * Lee Sung Jin, also known as Sonny Lee (born 1981), American filmmaker

Fictional characters

*Sonny, a racer character in the Malaysian animated series '' Rimba Racer'' * Sonny the Cuckoo Bird, the mascot for Cocoa Puffs breakfast cereal *Sonny, a well tank locomotive from ''

Thomas & Friends ''Thomas & Friends'' is a British children's television series which aired from 9 October 1984 to 20 January 2021. Based on ''The Railway Series'' books by Wilbert Awdry and his son Christopher Awdry, Christopher, the series was developed for ...

'' *Sonny, the protagonist of the flash video game ''Sonny'' *Sonny, a character in the 1994 American action thriller movie '' Raw Justice'' *Sonny Bonds, protagonist of the first three ''

Police Quest ''Police Quest'' (or ''SWAT'') is a series of police simulation game, simulation video games produced and published by Sierra On-Line between 1987 and 1998. The first five were adventure game, adventure simulation game, simulation games, the f ...

'' games * Dominick "Sonny" Carisi, Jr., detective on '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' * Sonny Corinthos, in the soap opera ''General Hospital'' * Santino "Sonny" Corleone, in the film ''The Godfather'', played by

James Caan James Edmund Caan ( ; March 26, 1940 – July 6, 2022) was an American actor. He came to prominence playing Sonny Corleone in ''The Godfather'' (1972), for which he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, Academy Award an ...

* James "Sonny" Crockett, an undercover police detective in the action drama television series ''

Miami Vice ''Miami Vice'' is an American crime drama television series created by Anthony Yerkovich and produced by Michael Mann for NBC. The series stars Don Johnson as James "Sonny" Crockett and Philip Michael Thomas as Ricardo Tubbs, Ricardo "Rico" Tub ...

'' * Sonny Forelli, in the video game ''Grand Theft Auto: Vice City'' * Sonny Kiriakis, on the soap opera ''Days of our Lives'' *Sonny LoSpecchio, the main character in the film ''

A Bronx Tale ''A Bronx Tale'' is a 1993 American coming-of-age story, coming-of-age crime film, crime drama film directed by and starring Robert De Niro in his directorial debut and produced by Jane Rosenthal, adapted from Chazz Palminteri's A Bronx Tale (p ...

'', played by Chazz Palminteri *Sonny Lumet, a character in the American television sitcom '' Bosom Buddies'' * Sonny Munroe, in Disney Channel Original Series ''Sonny with a Chance'' *Sonny Spoon, a police detective character in the TV series '' Sonny Spoon'' * Sonny Sumo, a supporting character of DC Comics' ''Forever People'' * Sonny Valentine, in the soap opera ''Hollyoaks'' *Sonny Weaver, Jr., main character of the 2014 film '' Draft Day'', played by Kevin Costner *Sonny Wolff, the father of Nat and Alex Wolff in The Naked Brothers Band *Sonny Wortzik, main character of

Dog Day Afternoon ''Dog Day Afternoon'' is a 1975 American biographical crime drama film directed by Sidney Lumet and produced by Martin Bregman and Martin Elfand. The film stars Al Pacino, John Cazale, James Broderick and Charles Durning. The screenplay ...

, played by

Al Pacino Alfredo James Pacino ( ; ; born April 25, 1940) is an American actor. Known for his intense performances on stage and screen, Pacino is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of all time. His career spans more than five decades, duri ...

*Sonny, a character in the 2021 Canadian-American movie '' Mister Sister'' *Sonny, a character in 1986 the American fantasy drama film '' The Boy Who Could Fly'' *Sonny, a robot in the film '' I, Robot''

References