Girl · Ancient Greek
Sophia
Say it: soh-FEE-uh
Meaning
Greek sophia, 'wisdom'.
Certainscholars agree on this meaning.
Inspired by the Hagia Sophia, 'Holy Wisdom', and a legendary martyr; common in royal families and among the most popular names worldwide in the 2010s.
Its wave through time
A revival, back after decades away
In the United States
- 377,481 babies given this name since 1880
- At its height in 2012, about 1 in 79 girls
- 12,987 babies in 2020
Through the ages
- The Early Middle Ages400 to 800
- The High and Late Middle Ages1100 to 1450
- The Renaissance1400 to 1600
- The Age of Revolutions1750 to 1837
- Victorian and Belle Époque1837 to 1914
- The Modern Age1880 to today
Used by
Early ChristianGreekEnglishFrenchSpanishItalianGermanPolishRussianHungarianAncient GreekAmerican
The family of the name
Other spellings: Sofia, Sophie
| French | Sophie |
|---|---|
| Spanish | Sofía |
| Italian | Sofia |
| Portuguese | Sofia |
| German | Sophie |
| Polish | Zofia |
| Russian | Sofya |
| Hungarian | Zsófia |
Famous bearers
- Sophia of Hanover, mother of George I
- Sophia Loren, Italian actress
Names worth a look
Where this comes from
- Lives of the saints and early Christian martyrologies
- Royal and noble genealogies
- United States Social Security birth records, 1880 to today source
- United States Social Security birth records, 1880 to today source
Meanings and histories are compiled from the study of names and their languages and checked by a second review.
Meanings and histories are drawn from the study of names and their languages, each with a confidence rating; popularity figures come from official birth records. Name histories are a living field: if you know of a correction, we would be glad to hear it.