Sonja first name popularity, history and meaning

Find out how popular the first name Sonja has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Meaning of Sonja

A feminine name of Greek origin meaning "wisdom".

Popularity of Sonja by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Sonja is exclusively a female name.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 64 female babies and 0 male babies born with the name Sonja.

Year Male Count Female Count
2023 0 64
2022 0 40
2021 0 68
2020 0 75
2019 0 80
2018 0 76
2017 0 69
2016 0 92
2015 0 86
2014 0 110
2013 0 110
2012 0 114
2011 0 108
2010 0 110
2009 0 121
2008 0 120
2007 0 105
2006 0 128
2005 0 127
2004 0 133
2003 0 114
2002 0 110
2001 0 106
2000 0 123
1999 0 146
1998 0 159
1997 0 151
1996 0 141
1995 0 121
1994 0 169
1993 0 170
1992 0 196
1991 0 206
1990 0 237
1989 0 272
1988 0 294
1987 0 303
1986 0 319
1985 0 303
1984 0 266
1983 0 314
1982 0 372
1981 0 401
1980 0 397
1979 0 438
1978 0 481
1977 0 519
1976 0 583
1975 0 614
1974 0 755

The history of the first name Sonja

The name Sonja is a feminine given name of Scandinavian origin, derived from the Old Norse name Sóndís or Sunniva. It is composed of two elements: "sōn" meaning "sun" and "dís" meaning "goddess" or "lady." The name was initially used in Norway and Sweden during the Viking era, around the 8th to 11th centuries.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Sonja Kovalevskaya, a Russian mathematician and writer who lived from 1850 to 1891. She was the first woman to hold a university chair in modern Europe and made significant contributions to the fields of partial differential equations and mechanics.

Another notable figure was Sonja Henie, a Norwegian figure skater who lived from 1912 to 1969. She was a three-time Olympic champion and a ten-time world champion, and is often regarded as one of the greatest figure skaters of all time.

In the 20th century, the name gained popularity across Europe and North America. Sonja Delaunay, a Ukrainian-born French artist, is known for her significant contributions to the Orphism art movement. She lived from 1885 to 1979 and was the first living female artist to have a retrospective exhibition at the Louvre in 1964.

Sonja Zietlow is a German television presenter and actress born in 1968. She is best known for hosting the popular German reality show "Ich bin ein Star – Holt mich hier raus!" (I'm a Celebrity – Get Me Out of Here!).

Sonja Sohn, an American actress and former police officer, was born in 1964. She is best known for her role as Detective Shakima "Kima" Greggs on the acclaimed HBO series "The Wire."

While the name Sonja has roots in Scandinavian culture, it has been embraced and used across various regions and cultures throughout history. Its meaning, derived from the sun and goddess elements, has contributed to its enduring popularity as a feminine given name.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Sonja was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Sonja, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Sonja first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 3, 2024. http://namecensus.com/first-names/sonja-meaning-and-history/.

"Sonja first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/first-names/sonja-meaning-and-history/. Accessed 3 November, 2024

Sonja first name popularity, history and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/first-names/sonja-meaning-and-history/.

Search for a name

Search for a first or last name to learn more about its origin, meaning, and more.

Simple as that.