Find out how popular the first name Zophia has been for the last 25 years (from 1999 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Zophia by gender

Based on the last 25 years of data, Zophia is exclusively a female name.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 28 female babies and 0 male babies born with the name Zophia.

The history of the first name Zophia

The name Zophia has its origins in the ancient Greek language, where it is believed to have derived from the word "sophia," meaning "wisdom" or "knowledge." This name first emerged during the classical period of ancient Greece, around the 5th century BC.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Zophia can be found in the works of the Greek philosopher Plato, who mentioned a woman by this name in his dialogues. It is believed that Plato may have used this name to symbolize the pursuit of wisdom and intellectual enlightenment.

Throughout the Byzantine era, the name Zophia gained popularity among Greek Christian communities, as it was associated with the virtues of wisdom and spiritual knowledge. Several notable figures from this period bore the name, including Zophia of Constantinople, a renowned scholar and poet who lived in the 9th century AD.

In the Middle Ages, the name Zophia spread to various parts of Europe, particularly in regions influenced by Greek culture and the Eastern Orthodox Church. One notable figure was Zophia Palaiologina, a Byzantine princess who married Ivan III, the Grand Prince of Moscow, in the 15th century. This marriage helped strengthen the cultural ties between the Byzantine Empire and Russia.

During the Renaissance period, the name Zophia became associated with the revival of classical learning and the pursuit of knowledge. In Italy, Zophia Bettini (1518-1598) was a celebrated scholar and poet who contributed to the intellectual and artistic movements of the time.

As the name Zophia traveled across Europe, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Sophia, Sofia, and Zofia. In Poland, the name Zofia gained particular prominence, and several notable figures bore this variation, including Queen Zofia Holszańska (1405-1461), wife of Władysław II Jagiełło, and the 19th-century writer Zofia Nałkowska (1884-1954).

Other historical figures who carried the name Zophia or its variants include Zophia Kovalevskaya (1850-1891), a Russian mathematician and writer who made significant contributions to the field of partial differential equations, and Zophia Tolstaya (1844-1919), the daughter of the renowned Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy.

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 Zophia was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Zophia, 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!