Sophanna
A feminine name of Cambodian origin meaning "essence of wisdom".
Name Census estimates that about 16 living Americans carry the first name Sophanna. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 58.8% of registrations being female. The average person named Sophanna today is around 40 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Sophanna births was 1987 (12 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Sophanna. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Sophanna. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
16
~ 1 in 21,422,146 Americans
Peak year
1987
12 babies that year
Average age
40
years old
1987 SSA rank
#6,011
Tracked since 1985
Census
Sophanna in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 113 people with the first name Sophanna, which placed it at #51,508 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#51,508
National first-name rank
People counted
113
113 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.0
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Asian and Pacific Islander
99.1% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sophanna
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Sophanna is Asian/Pacific Islander at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.9%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Sophanna described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Sophanna at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander99.1% · 112
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Gender
Gender distribution for Sophanna
Sophanna is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 17 total registrations, 7 (41.2%) were male and 10 (58.8%) were female.
Sophanna as a male name
- Ranked #6,011 in 1987
- 7 male births in 1987
- Peak: 1987 (7 births)
Sophanna as a female name
- Ranked #13,001 in 1987
- 5 female births in 1987
- Peak: 1985 (5 births)
2020 Census snapshot
The 2020 Census sex table shows Sophanna on both sides of the split. Of the 111 people counted with this name, 51 were male (45.9%) and 60 were female (54.1%).
Popularity
Sophanna: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Sophanna 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 Sophanna during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 7 | 10 | 17 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Sophanna
The name Sophanna has its origins in the Sanskrit language, which was widely used across ancient India and parts of Southeast Asia. It is a combination of two Sanskrit words, "su" meaning "good" or "auspicious," and "phanna" meaning "hood" or "canopy." The name can be interpreted to mean "one who possesses goodness" or "one who is sheltered by virtue."
In ancient Hindu texts and scriptures, the name Sophanna is sometimes associated with divine beings or celestial nymphs known as apsaras. These ethereal creatures were known for their beauty, grace, and ability to enchant and captivate mortals. While the name itself does not directly reference any specific mythological figure, its connection to these celestial beings suggests a legacy of beauty and divine favor.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Sophanna can be traced back to the 6th century CE, when a Buddhist monk and scholar from the Nalanda University in ancient India bore this name. This monk was renowned for his extensive knowledge of Buddhist teachings and his contributions to the preservation and dissemination of sacred texts.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the name Sophanna. In the 12th century, Sophanna was the name of a renowned Khmer poet and scholar from the Angkor Empire in present-day Cambodia. His poetic works, which explored themes of love, nature, and spirituality, were widely celebrated and influenced literary traditions across Southeast Asia.
In the 19th century, Sophanna was the name of a prominent Siamese diplomat and statesman who played a crucial role in negotiating treaties and fostering diplomatic relations between Siam (now Thailand) and Western powers. His diplomatic efforts helped to maintain Siam's independence and sovereignty during a period of colonial expansion in the region.
Another notable figure named Sophanna was a Cambodian artist and educator who lived in the early 20th century. She was celebrated for her intricate lacquer artwork and her dedication to preserving and promoting traditional Cambodian arts and crafts. Her works are now housed in prestigious museums and galleries around the world.
Lastly, Sophanna was the name of a renowned Indian classical dancer who achieved international acclaim in the latter half of the 20th century. Her masterful performances and contributions to the revival of ancient dance forms earned her numerous accolades and prestigious awards, cementing her legacy as one of the most influential dancers of her time.
People
Sophanna + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Sophanna 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
Sophanna: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Sophanna?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 16 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Sophanna 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 21,422,146 US residents.
Is Sophanna a common name?
We classify Sophanna as "Very Rare". It ranks above 36.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 17 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Sophanna most popular?
The single biggest year for Sophanna was 1987, when 12 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Sophanna is about 40 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Sophanna in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 113 people with the name Sophanna, or 0.04 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #51,508 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Sophanna in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Sophanna?
The 2020 Census sex table shows Sophanna on both sides of the split. Of the 111 people counted with this name, 51 were male (45.9%) and 60 were female (54.1%). The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Sophanna?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Sophanna is Asian/Pacific Islander at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.9%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Sophanna most often in the Census?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest reported group for people named Sophanna in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.1% (112 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Sophanna in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Sophanna a female name?
Yes, 58.8% of people registered as Sophanna 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.
Is Sophanna still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Sophanna in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Sophanna can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
How many people share the name Sophanna?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.