Sofia
Feminine name of Greek origin meaning "wisdom" or "skill".
Our analysis of Social Security Administration records puts the number of living Americans named Sofia at approximately 174,380. That places it at #10 in the national ranking of first names. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Sofia today is around 14 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Sofia births was 2015 (9,708 babies). In terms of living bearers, it sits close to Sherry (171,865).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Sofia. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Although Sofia is used almost entirely for girls, the SSA data does show 178 boys registered with the name since 1880.
- • Sofia is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 14 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
174K
~ 1 in 1,966 Americans
Peak year
2015
9,708 babies that year
Average age
14
years old
2024 SSA rank
#10
Tracked since 1881
Gender
Gender distribution for Sofia
Out of the 178,628 babies given the name Sofia since 1880, 99.9% were registered as female. The name sits firmly on the female side of the spectrum, with only a handful of male registrations across the entire dataset.
Sofia as a male name
- Ranked #13,908 in 2024
- 5 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2004 (17 births)
Sofia as a female name
- Ranked #10 in 2024
- 8,094 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2015 (9,699 births)
Popularity
Sofia: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Sofia from the 1880s through to the 2020s, spanning 15 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 82,469 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Sofia remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Sofia by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Sofia during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Sofias live
The SSA's state-level files cover 51 states and territories. California, Texas, Florida recorded the most babies named Sofia, while Wyoming, Vermont, Montana recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 3,447 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Sofia
Sofia is a feminine given name that has its origins in the Greek language. It is derived from the word "sophia," which means "wisdom" or "skill." The name's roots can be traced back to ancient Greece, where it was associated with the concept of philosophy and intellectual pursuits.
The earliest recorded use of the name Sofia can be found in ancient Greek texts and historical records. One notable example is the Greek philosopher Sophia of Miletus, who lived in the 6th century BC and is considered one of the earliest female philosophers in history.
In the Christian tradition, the name gained significance and popularity due to its association with the concept of divine wisdom, as represented by the personification of Sophia in various texts and theological writings. The Book of Proverbs in the Bible, for instance, portrays Sophia as the embodiment of God's wisdom.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Sofia. One of the earliest was Sofia of Kyiv, a princess of the Kyivan Rus' who lived in the 11th century and played a significant role in the spread of Christianity in Eastern Europe.
In the 15th century, Sofia Paleologan was the Grand Princess of Moscow and the wife of Ivan III, the Grand Prince of Moscow. Her marriage helped to strengthen the ties between the Byzantine Empire and the emerging Russian state.
Another prominent figure was Sofia Barat, a French nun who founded the Society of the Sacred Heart in 1800. She dedicated her life to the education of women and the promotion of social justice.
In the realm of literature, Sofia Tolstaya, the wife of the famous Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy, was a notable figure in her own right. She played a crucial role in transcribing and preserving her husband's literary works.
The name Sofia also holds historical significance in the Byzantine Empire, where several empresses and princesses bore the name, including Sofia Palaiologan, who was the wife of the last Byzantine emperor, Constantine XI Palaiologos.
These are just a few examples of the historical figures who have carried the name Sofia, showcasing its enduring presence and significance across various cultures and time periods.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Sofia
People
Sofia + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Sofia as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with S
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Sofia: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Sofia?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 174,380 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Sofia going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,966 US residents.
Is Sofia a common name?
We classify Sofia as "Common". It ranks above 99.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 178,628 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Sofia most popular?
The single biggest year for Sofia was 2015, when 9,708 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Sofia is about 14 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Sofia a female name?
Yes, 99.9% of people registered as Sofia in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.