Sofia
Sofia: name meaning, origin and popularity
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈsoʊfiə/ · /ˈsoʊfijə/
Meaning and origin of Sofia
- A female given name, variant of Sophia.
Etymology
Variant spelling of Sophia and from various other languages' own adaptations of Ancient Greek Σοφία (Sophía, “wisdom, especially divine wisdom”). Sometimes borrowed into English as an anglicization of an accented or closely related form, as with Spanish Sofía, Welsh Soffia, and Hungarian Zsófia. As the capital of Bulgaria, via nonstandard, though now official, romanization of Bulgarian Со́фия (Sófija), from църква „Света София“ (cărkva „Sveta Sofija“), from Byzantine Greek Ναός Ἁγίας Σοφίας (Naós Hagías Sophías, “Church of Holy Wisdom”), the city's prominent 6th-century Byzantine Greek church, first attested being used as the name for the city in the 14th century and reinforced under Ottoman
How popular is Sofia?
Since 1880, 186,744 girls and 187 boys in the U.S. have been named Sofia (100% girls). Its highest rank for girls was #9 in 2025. Its highest rank for boys was #4975 in 2004. In 2025 it ranked #9 for girls, with 8,261 babies given the name.
Names similar to Sofia
Names that start with the same letters, most popular first.
Sibling name ideas for Sofia
Names that peaked around the same time as Sofia and are still in the U.S. top 1,000.
Sofia FAQ
What does the name Sofia mean?
A female given name, variant of Sophia. Variant spelling of Sophia and from various other languages' own adaptations of Ancient Greek Σοφία (Sophía, “wisdom, especially divine wisdom”). Sometimes borrowed into English as an anglicization of an accented or closely related form, as with Spanish Sofía, Welsh Soffia, and Hungarian Zsófia. As the capital of Bulgaria, via nonstandard, though now official, romanization of Bulgarian Со́фия (Sófija), from църква „Света София“ (cărkva „Sveta Sofija“), from Byzantine Greek Ναός Ἁγίας Σοφίας (Naós Hagías Sophías, “Church of Holy Wisdom”), the city's prominent 6th-century Byzantine Greek church, first attested being used as the name for the city in the 14th century and reinforced under Ottoman
How popular is the name Sofia?
Since 1880, 186,744 girls and 187 boys in the U.S. have been named Sofia (100% girls). Its highest rank for girls was #9 in 2025. Its highest rank for boys was #4975 in 2004. In 2025 it ranked #9 for girls, with 8,261 babies given the name.
Is Sofia a boy or girl name?
Sofia is mostly a girl name in the U.S.: 186,744 girls and 187 boys since 1880.
Popularity data: U.S. Social Security Administration baby name data, 1880–2025 (names given to 5+ babies per year). Origin and etymology text: Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.