Sullivan
Sullivan is a boys' name of Irish origin meaning “dark-eyed one, hawk-eyed.” It ranked #314 in the United States in 2025. An anglicization of the Irish surname Ó Súilleabháin, meaning descendant of the dark-eyed one.
how do you pronounce Sullivan?
SUL-ih-van
Hear it spoken aloud with our AI pronunciation tool.
what does Sullivan mean?
The name Sullivan means “dark-eyed one, hawk-eyed.” It comes from the Irish language tradition.
An anglicization of the Irish surname Ó Súilleabháin, meaning descendant of the dark-eyed one. It is one of the most common Irish surnames that has transitioned into use as a first name.
where does the name Sullivan come from?
No reference material was retrieved for Sullivan. It is generally understood as a transferred use of the Irish surname, but nothing found here confirms a specific derivation, so the dark-eyed or hawk-eyed gloss given elsewhere is not verified by any source in hand.
the history of Sullivan
Its use as a first name is a modern transfer from the surname; nothing further about its history is recorded in the absence of a source.
how popular is this name?
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 2025 | #314 |
| 2024 | #339 |
| 2023 | #358 |
| 2022 | #366 |
| 2021 | #372 |
| 2020 | #398 |
Source: SSA National Baby Names Dataset
what are the nicknames and variants of Sullivan?
Nicknames
who are famous people named Sullivan?
- Ed Sullivan (television host)
- Sullivan Ballou (Civil War officer)
what names are similar to Sullivan?
what names go well with Sullivan?
Sibling names that share Sullivan's rhythm and register without echoing it too closely.
Last reviewed April 30, 2026 · Curated by HushName editorial
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