Sunnive as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Sunnive

What is the meaning of the name Sunnive ?

The baby name Sunnive is a Female name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced SUN-ih-vuh (IPA: /ˈsʌnɪvə/).

Sunnive is English, Scandinavian in Origin.

Sunnive is a modern streamlined variant of Sunniva, ultimately from Old English Sunnigifu (sunne “sun” + giefu “gift”), later adapted in Old Norse and Norwegian as Sunniva/Synnøve. The meaning is “gift of the sun,” evoking warmth, light, and blessing.

The name entered Scandinavian tradition through the cult of Saint Sunniva, a legendary 10th‑century exile whose relics were venerated at Selja, becoming a symbol in western Norway. Medieval use persisted in rural forms, then the Synnøve spelling rose in the 19th–20th centuries during national romanticism; Sunniva has seen a late‑20th‑century revival. Sunnive itself remains rare, appearing as an English-friendly spelling in Nordic and international contexts. Related and variant forms include Sunniva, Synnøve (Norwegian), Synnöve (Swedish), Synneve, Sunneva, Suniva, and short forms Synne and Sunny.

⚙ Sunnive doesn't appear in any of the birth registries or name datasets we track. Most often that means a rare name, a regional or heritage one, or a recent coinage. Either way, it remains a genuinely rare choice.