The first name Sonya
A girl’s name from Russian meaning “sofia”, “sophia”, “wisdom”.
Pronounced /ˈsoʊn.jə/ 2 syllables Female
Meaning and origin
Russian origin
Sonya means “sofia”, “sophia”, “wisdom” in Russian.
Borrowed from Russian and Ukrainian Со́ня (Sónja), an informal pet form of Со́фья (Sófʹja), Софі́я (Sofíja) or Софи́я (Sofíja, “Sofia, Sophia”), from the Ancient Greek σοφία (sophía, “wisdom”). It was introduced into English through 19th century Russian literature and taken into general use in early twentieth century.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 7 girls were named Sonya, making it the 3,333rd most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 1996, with 30 births (#753).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Sonya with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Sonya at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 100 girls born in the United States were named Sonya, the 1,939th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1967, when 2,980 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Sonya in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Nicknames and spellings
Other spellings and forms
Famous people named Sonya
17 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Sonya WalgerBritish-American actress, born 1974
- Sonya YonchevaBulgarian opera singer, born 1981
- Sonya SmithAmerican-Venezuelan actress, born 1972
- Sonya EddyAmerican actress (1967–2022)
- Sonya LevienAmerican screenwriter (1888-1960)
- Sonya HartnettAustralian writer, born 1968
- Sonya CassidyBritish actor, born 1987
- Sonya SalomaaActress, born 1974
- Sonya NoskowiakAmerican photographer (1900-1975)
- Sonya JeyaseelanCanadian tennis player, born 1976
- Sonya KlopferAmerican figure skater (1934–2025)
- Sonya AgbessiBenin athlete, born 1972
More Russian girls’ names
Questions
- What does the name Sonya mean?
- Sonya means “sofia”, “sophia”, “wisdom” in Russian.
- What is the origin of the name Sonya?
- Borrowed from Russian and Ukrainian Со́ня (Sónja), an informal pet form of Со́фья (Sófʹja), Софі́я (Sofíja) or Софи́я (Sofíja, “Sofia, Sophia”), from the Ancient Greek σοφία (sophía, “wisdom”). It was introduced into English through 19th century Russian literature and taken into general use in…
- How popular is the name Sonya?
- In 2025, 7 girls born in England and Wales were named Sonya, ranking 3,333rd. Its peak was 1996, with 30 births.
- Is Sonya a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 65,954 US babies named Sonya since 1880 were girls.
- When was Sonya most popular?
- 1967 in the United States, when 2,980 babies were named Sonya, its highest rank at 114th.
- How do you pronounce Sonya?
- Sonya is /ˈsoʊn.jə/, 2 syllables.
- What are other spellings of Sonya?
- Sonia.