The first name Sophia
A girl’s name from Greek meaning “wisdom”.
Pronounced /soʊˈfi.ə/ 3 syllables Female
Meaning and origin
Greek origin
Sophia means “wisdom” in Greek.
Chiefly from Latin Sophia, from Ancient Greek Σοφία (Sophía), from σοφία (sophía, “wisdom”), especially in reference to holy or divine wisdom under the influence of Biblical Hebrew חוכמה (khokhmá), to the early martyr St. Sophia, and to many figures of European royalty and nobility. Also used as a calque for the many cognate forms, such as Italian Sofia, Ukrainian Софі́я (Sofíja), Russian Софи́я (Sofíja), Polish Zofia, etc. Doublet of Sofia.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 1,547 girls were named Sophia, making it the 13th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 2012, with 2,855 births (#15).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Sophia with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Sophia at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 12,561 girls born in the United States were named Sophia, the 5th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 2012, when 22,336 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.
Sophia in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Sophia in German too.
Nicknames and spellings
Famous people named Sophia
68 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Sophia BushAmerican actress, born 1982
- Sophia LillisAmerican actress (born 2002)
- Sophia MylesEnglish actress (born 1980)
- Princess Sophia of the United KingdomBritish princess; daughter of King George III and Queen Charlotte (1777-1848)
- Sophia Di MartinoBritish actress, born 1983
- Sophia Jex-BlakeBritish physician and suffragist (1840–1912)
- Sophia AliAmerican actress, born 1995
- Sophia KianniAmerican climate activist, born 2001
- Sophia WilsonAmerican soccer player, born 2000
- SophiaByzantine empress, 530–600
- Sophia Hayden BennettAmerican architect (1868–1953)
- Princess Sophia of GloucesterBritish princess, 1773–1844
More Greek girls’ names
Questions
- What does the name Sophia mean?
- Sophia means “wisdom” in Greek.
- What is the origin of the name Sophia?
- Chiefly from Latin Sophia, from Ancient Greek Σοφία (Sophía), from σοφία (sophía, “wisdom”), especially in reference to holy or divine wisdom under the influence of Biblical Hebrew חוכמה (khokhmá), to the early martyr St. Sophia, and to many figures of European royalty and nobility. Also used as a…
- How popular is the name Sophia?
- In 2025, 1,547 girls born in England and Wales were named Sophia, ranking 13th. Its peak was 2012, with 2,855 births.
- What are nicknames for Sophia?
- Common nicknames for Sophia include Sophie, Sophy.
- Is Sophia a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 439,619 US babies named Sophia since 1880 were girls.
- When was Sophia most popular?
- 2012 in the United States, when 22,336 babies were named Sophia, its highest rank at 1st.
- How do you pronounce Sophia?
- Sophia is /soʊˈfi.ə/, 3 syllables.
- What are other spellings of Sophia?
- Sofia, Sofya, Sofiya and Sofija.