Sunita
Feminine · “Of good conduct”
Sunita is a Sanskrit name meaning 'of good conduct', built on su-, 'good', one of the most productive beginnings in Indian naming. One Sunita ran the Boston Marathon while circling the Earth.
How old is the name Sunita?
Sunita first appears in US birth records in 1963 — 62 years ago. The typical Sunita alive today was born around 1983, making them about 42 years old. About 600 people named Sunita are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Sunita most popular?
Sunita peaked in 1983, reaching #2975 nationally. See the whole 1983 chart.
Where it comes from
From su + nita to Sunita
The story of Sunita
Sanskrit builds many names with su-, 'good, well': Sunil, Suman, Sushma, Sudha, Suresh and Sunita, 'well-conducted'. In April 2007 the astronaut Sunita Williams, a Navy test pilot whose father came from Gujarat, ran the Boston Marathon on a treadmill aboard the International Space Station, strapped down with bungee cords, while her sister ran it on the ground. Sunita came to the United States with Indian families in the second half of the twentieth century.
Meaning
Of good conduct, well-guided
From Sanskrit su-, 'good, well', and nita, 'led, conducted'.
How the name formed
- su + nita
- Sunita
Related forms: Sunita · Sunita · Sunita
Pronouncing Sunita
soo-NEE-tuh
Three syllables with the stress on the second.
Nicknames for Sunita
Limited
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1963
- Most girls named
- 198328 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #2975reached in 1983
- Change vs 2014
- −16.7%5 in 2023, from 6
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Sunita in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Sunita in Hindi — transliteration
- Sunita in Sanskrit — same name
- Sunita in Bengali — transliteration
Sunitas among us
people named Sunita are estimated to be alive in the US today
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
Questions parents actually ask
Fashion outlook
Sunita sits outside the current charts, and that is its own kind of answer: naming cycles can only date the names they carried up. A name this rare has no decade stamped on it — it cannot go out of fashion, because it was never in.
Based on 146 years of naming cycles. How we read them
The trade-off
- A clear, positive meaning.
- Easy to say and spell.
- Carries a remarkable modern bearer.
- English speakers may hear Anita or Juanita.
- It will be new to many American classmates.
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What they receive
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Sunita
Feminine
Frequently asked
- How many Sunitas are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 600 people named Sunita are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Sunita in 2025?
- Sunita is rarely given in the US today — it does not rank in the top 2000 girl names.
- Will my child share the name Sunita with classmates?
- Sunita will almost certainly be the only one in school.
More S names
The most-given names starting with S, all years combined.
Susan#1085 · Sarah#90 · Sandra#1207 · Stephanie#557 · Sharon#1250 · Shirley#1581 · Samantha#151 · Sophia#5
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Sunita? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Sunita and another name?
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US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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