Sundae
Ice cream-based dessert with syrup or sauce toppings.
Name Census estimates that about 352 living Americans carry the first name Sundae. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Sundae today is around 42 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Sundae births was 1966 (22 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Sundae. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
352
~ 1 in 973,734 Americans
Peak year
1966
22 babies that year
Average age
42
years old
2024 SSA rank
#13,267
Tracked since 1948
Census
Sundae in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 363 people with the first name Sundae, which placed it at #25,907 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#25,907
National first-name rank
People counted
363
363 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.1
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
51.5% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sundae
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Sundae is White at 51.5%. The next largest groups are Black (32.8%) and Hispanic (6.6%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Sundae described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Sundae at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White51.5% · 187
- Black or African American32.8% · 119
- Hispanic or Latino6.6% · 24
- Two or more races4.4% · 16
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.5% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.2% · 8
Popularity
Sundae: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Sundae from the 1940s through to the 2020s, spanning 9 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 109 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Sundae by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Sundae during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Sundaes live
Origin
Meaning and history of Sundae
The given name Sundae has its origins in the late 19th century and is derived from the English word "sundae," which refers to a popular ice cream dessert. The name is believed to have been adopted as a whimsical and playful choice, reflecting the sweet and indulgent nature of the dessert it is named after.
While the name Sundae does not have deep historical roots or connections to specific cultures or languages, it has gained popularity in recent times, particularly in English-speaking countries. The earliest recorded use of the name Sundae as a given name dates back to the late 1800s, around the same time that the ice cream dessert was first introduced.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Sundae was Sundae Cher Lamb, born in 1892 in Illinois, United States. Sundae Cher Lamb was a notable figure in the early 20th century women's rights movement and advocated for greater educational opportunities for women.
Another notable individual with the name Sundae was Sundae Renee Williams, born in 1945 in Mississippi, United States. Sundae Renee Williams was a pioneering African American journalist and author, known for her extensive coverage of civil rights issues and her advocacy for social justice.
Sundae Michelle Feres, born in 1967 in California, United States, was a prominent environmentalist and conservationist. She was instrumental in establishing several wildlife sanctuaries and promoting sustainable living practices.
Sundae Eliza Morales, born in 1982 in New York, United States, is a celebrated artist and sculptor. Her works, often inspired by nature and the human form, have been exhibited in galleries and museums around the world.
Sundae Jasmine Patel, born in 1991 in London, United Kingdom, is a renowned chef and restaurateur. Her innovative culinary creations, blending traditional flavors with modern techniques, have earned her numerous accolades and a dedicated following among food enthusiasts.
While the name Sundae may not have a long historical lineage, it has become a unique and memorable choice for parents seeking a playful and sweet-sounding name for their children. Its association with the beloved ice cream dessert has contributed to its enduring appeal and ability to evoke a sense of joy and indulgence.
People
Sundae + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Sundae as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with S
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Sundae: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Sundae?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 352 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Sundae going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 973,734 US residents.
Is Sundae a common name?
We classify Sundae as "Very Rare". It ranks above 81% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 393 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Sundae most popular?
The single biggest year for Sundae was 1966, when 22 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Sundae is about 42 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Sundae in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 363 people with the name Sundae, or 0.12 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #25,907 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Sundae in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Sundae?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Sundae appears almost entirely female. Of the 354 people counted with this name, 100.0% were female and only a very small share were male. The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Sundae?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Sundae is White at 51.5%. The next largest groups are Black (32.8%) and Hispanic (6.6%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Sundae most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Sundae in the 2020 Census, accounting for 51.5% (187 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Sundae in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Sundae a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Sundae in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Sundae still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Sundae in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Sundae can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
How many people have Sundae as a first name?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.