Sona
A Sanskrit feminine name meaning "golden" or "beautiful gold".
Name Census estimates that about 1,175 living Americans carry the first name Sona. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Sona today is around 33 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Sona births was 2024 (36 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Sona. 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.
People living today
1.2K
~ 1 in 291,706 Americans
Peak year
2024
36 babies that year
Average age
33
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,095
Tracked since 1923
Popularity
Sona: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Sona from the 1920s through to the 2020s, spanning 11 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 222 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Sona remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Sona 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 Sona during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Sonas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. California, New York, Texas recorded the most babies named Sona, while Texas, New York, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 75 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Sona
The name Sona has its origins in several ancient languages and cultures. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "Sona," which means "golden" or "beautiful." The name has been traced back to the Vedic period in ancient India, dating back to around 1500 BCE.
In Hindu mythology, Sona is associated with the goddess Lakshmi, the deity of wealth, fortune, and prosperity. The name is also found in ancient Hindu texts, such as the Puranas, where it is often used to describe the beauty and radiance of celestial beings.
The name Sona has also been used in various regions of the Indian subcontinent, including parts of present-day India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. It has been popular among Hindus, Sikhs, and Muslims alike.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Sona comes from the ancient Indian epic, the Mahabharata. In the epic, Sona is mentioned as the name of a female character who was known for her beauty and grace.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Sona. One of the most famous was Sona Mohapatra, an Indian playback singer and music composer born in 1976. She has received several awards and accolades for her contributions to the Indian music industry.
Another prominent figure named Sona was Sona Avedisian (1914-1989), an Armenian-American artist and sculptor. Her works have been exhibited in various galleries and museums across the United States and Europe.
In the field of literature, Sona Nair (1956-2010) was an Indian author and playwright known for her contributions to Malayalam literature. Her works often explored themes of feminism and social issues.
Sona Hosian (1915-2001) was a Pakistani classical singer and musician who played a significant role in promoting and preserving the traditional music of Pakistan. She was awarded the Pride of Performance, one of the highest civilian honors in Pakistan, for her contributions to the arts.
SonaJobarteh (born 1983) is a Gambian kora player and singer who has gained international recognition for her work in promoting and preserving the traditional music of West Africa. She has performed at numerous festivals and concerts around the world.
People
Sona + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Sona 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
Sona: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Sona?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,175 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Sona 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 291,706 US residents.
Is Sona a common name?
We classify Sona as "Rare". It ranks above 91.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,403 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Sona most popular?
The single biggest year for Sona was 2024, when 36 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Sona is about 33 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Sona a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Sona 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.