Find out how popular the last name Sophia is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Sophia.

Sophia, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Sophia surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sophia in America

Sophia is the 100302nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sophia surname appeared 180 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Sophia.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sophia to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Sophia

SOPHIA is not a surname but rather a given name derived from the Greek word 'sophia' meaning 'wisdom'. It is a name of Greek origin that has been widely used across various cultures and regions throughout history.

The earliest known use of the name Sophia dates back to ancient Greece, where it was bestowed upon women as a representation of their wisdom and intelligence. The name gained popularity during the Byzantine era, particularly among the ruling class and nobility.

In the Christian tradition, Sophia is also associated with the personification of Divine Wisdom, as referenced in various religious texts and theological writings. The name has been borne by several female saints and martyrs, further contributing to its widespread adoption.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sophia can be found in the Byzantine Empire, where Princess Sophia Palaiologina, born in 1455, was a member of the imperial family. Another notable figure was Sophia Brahe, a Danish astronomer and horticulturist, who lived from 1556 to 1643.

During the Renaissance period, the name Sophia gained popularity among intellectual and artistic circles. Sophia Elisabet Brenner, a Swedish writer and poet, lived from 1659 to 1730 and was considered a pioneer in Swedish literature.

In the 18th century, Sophia Dorothea of Celle, born in 1666, was the wife of George I of Great Britain and played a significant role in the Hanoverian succession to the British throne.

The name Sophia has also been associated with various place names and geographic locations. For instance, Sophia is a city in western Bulgaria, and there are several towns and villages named Sophia or Sofia in various parts of the world.

Throughout history, numerous notable individuals have borne the name Sophia, including authors, philosophers, scientists, and artists. Sophia Kovalevskaya, born in 1850, was a pioneering Russian mathematician and writer, while Sophia Scholl, born in 1921, was a renowned German anti-Nazi political activist during World War II.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sophia

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Sophia.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Sophia was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Sophia has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

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

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

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