Girl name · Greek
Sofia
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: wisdom, skillSofia is a girl's name that comes from Greek and means "wisdom, skill". It is used in English, Italian, Portuguese, Scandinavian, Greek and Russian and more.
- Meaning
- Wisdom, skill
- Origin
- Greek
- Gender
- Girl
- US rank
- #9 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Sofia
As a girl's name, Sofia comes from Greek and means "wisdom, skill". It is used in English, Italian, Portuguese, Scandinavian, Greek, Russian and Spanish. In Spanish it is spelled Sofía.
In Greek, say so-FEE-ah. In Italian, say soh-FEE-ah. In Russian, say sah-FEE-yah. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Sofia on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Sofia on 5 lists.
“Wisdom; Greek. Among the most common names in Greece. Say so-FEE-ah”
From Greek girl names, popular Greek girl names
“Wisdom, skill; Greek. No. 1 in Italy in 2025, and every year since 2010. Say soh-FEE-ah”
From Italian girl names, popular Italian girls' names right now
“Wisdom; Greek. Mexico's No. 1 girl name in 2020 (INEGI)”
From Mexican girl names, popular Mexican names for girls (INEGI 2020)
“Wisdom; Greek sophia. Diminutive Sonya. Say sah-FEE-yah”
From Russian girl names, classic Russian girls' names
“Wisdom; Greek. Spain's No. 1 girl name in 2024: 3,325 babies (INE)”
From Spanish girl names, popular Spanish girls' names in Spain (INE 2024)
How popular is Sofia?
- US rank in 2025
- #9
- 8,252 babies, 5,134 per million girls
- Best rank
- #9 in 2025
- Most babies: 9,702 in 2015
- Babies since 1881
- At least 186,744
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 34 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 51 per million |
| 1900s | 57 per million |
| 1910s | 53 per million |
| 1920s | 53 per million |
| 1930s | 43 per million |
| 1940s | 26 per million |
| 1950s | 27 per million |
| 1960s | 49 per million |
| 1970s | 102 per million |
| 1980s | 154 per million |
| 1990s | 435 per million |
| 2000s | 2,348 per million |
| 2010s | 4,708 per million |
| 2020s | 4,655 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #14 | #15 | #17 | #17 | #17 | #18 | #13 | #12 | #10 | #9 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Nicknames for Sofia
Established short forms and pet names, not made-up ones.
- Sonyatraditional short form (Russian)
Other forms of Sofia
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
Names spelled like Sofia
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- SafaPure (Arabic, unisex)
- SafiyaPure, sincere (Arabic, girl)
- SamiaElevated, sublime (Arabic, girl)
- SiaPoetic and elegant (depends on hanja) (Korean, girl)
- SíofraElf, sprite (Irish Gaelic, girl)
- SominBright and gentle (depends on hanja) (Korean, girl)
- SonyaShort form of Sofia, wisdom (Greek, girl)
- SoraThe sky (depends on characters) (Japanese, unisex)
Names with a similar meaning
- AthenaMeaning unknown; the Greek goddess of wisdom (Greek, girl)
- Ana SofíaGrace and wisdom (Hebrew and Greek, girl)
- Ana SophiaGrace, wisdom (Hebrew and Greek, girl)
- ArivuKnowledge, wisdom (Tamil, boy)
- EunjiGrace and wisdom (depends on characters) (Korean, girl)
- JianWisdom and peace (depends on hanja) (Korean, unisex)
- JieunWisdom and grace (depends on characters) (Korean, girl)
- JihunWisdom and merit (depends on characters) (Korean, boy)
- JihyeWisdom, insight (depends on characters) (Korean, girl)
- JiuWisdom and blessing (depends on hanja) (Korean, unisex)
Middle names for Sofia
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
- AnastasiaResurrection, rising again (Greek, girl)
- AureliaGolden (Latin, girl)
- CosimaOrder, decency (Greek, girl)
- DelphineFrom Delphi (Greek, girl)
- GraceGrace, divine favor (Latin, girl)
- OttilieWealth, fortune (Germanic, girl)
- PaigeYoung servant, page (Old French, girl)
- WilhelminaResolute protector (Germanic, girl)
More girl names from Greek
- AlexandraDefender of men (Greek, girl)
- ElenaForm of Helen, probably from Greek torch (Greek, girl)
- IrenePeace, tranquility (Greek, girl)
- IrisA rainbow (Greek, girl)
- ZoeLife, living (Greek, girl)
- ChristinaFollower of Christ (Greek, girl)
- NicoleVictory of the people (Greek, girl)
- PetraRock, stone (Greek, girl)
- RitaA pearl (Greek, girl)
- AgnesPure, chaste (Greek, girl)
Sofia: common questions
What does the name Sofia mean?
Sofia comes from Greek and means "wisdom, skill".
Is Sofia a boy or girl name?
Sofia is mainly a girl's name. In 2025, 8,252 girls and 9 boys in the US were named Sofia, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are nicknames for Sofia?
Common nicknames for Sofia include Sonya.
How popular is the name Sofia?
Sofia ranked #9 in the US in 2025, with 8,252 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Sofia?
Forms of Sofia with the same meaning and origin include Sônia (Portuguese), Sonja (German), Sophia (English) and Sophie (English).
What middle names go with Sofia?
Middle names that flow well with Sofia include Anastasia, Aurelia, Cosima, Delphine and Grace. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.