girl's name
Sonia
SOHN-yuh
- Origin Russian
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 2
- Letters 5
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 156,121
Northern Ireland
#363
2006 births
Sonia is not a name in its own right in Russian — it is the everyday pet form of Sofia, and it means wisdom. It charts in four markets and peaked in France rather than anywhere English-speaking.
- Sonia is a name of Russian origin.
- Peaked in France in 1974, when 4,570 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade in France.
- Today about 1 in 16,843 babies in France is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1900.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Sonia over time
Births per decade in France, 1900s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1900s | 45 |
| 1910s | 185 |
| 1920s | 455 |
| 1930s | 1,045 |
| 1940s | 1,710 |
| 1950s | 4,350 |
| 1960s | 9,470 |
| 1970s | 32,035 |
| 1980s | 20,430 |
| 1990s | 9,275 |
| 2000s | 3,155 |
| 2010s | 1,355 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 390 |
What Sonia means
Sonia means wisdom, carried from Sofia. The Greek sophia is the ordinary noun, so the name is a word for the quality rather than a description of a person.
Where Sonia comes from
Sonia is the Russian Sonya, the standard pet form of Sofia, from the Greek sophia — wisdom, the same word in philosophy, love of wisdom. The Hagia Sophia in Constantinople is dedicated to Holy Wisdom rather than to a saint named Sophia, which is a distinction most of its visitors miss. Sonya carries real weight in Russian literature: Sonya Marmeladova in Crime and Punishment and Sonya in Uncle Vanya are both central. The name entered French and English in the early twentieth century as an independent name, which it never was at home.
Sonia in use
Sonia peaked in France in 1974, when 4,570 babies were registered, and is falling in our data. It now ranks 818th in Ireland on 4 births, 1066th in France on 35, 1067th in England and Wales on 32 — France and England within a single rank of each other — and 1304th in the United States on 171, across 156,121 lifetime births in five of the seven markets we track.
How popular is Sonia?
In 2025, Sonia was given to 35 babies in France. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Sonia is used
French counts are rounded to the nearest five and nothing below five is published, so these figures show the shape of the name's use rather than an exact tally. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Sonia
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Sonia also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Sonia over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Sonia in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Sonia
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Sonia — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Sonia
What does the name Sonia mean?
Wisdom — carried from Sofia, the Greek sophia.
Is Sonia short for Sofia?
In Russian it is the standard pet form. It became an independent name only outside Russia.
Is the Hagia Sophia named after a saint?
No — it is dedicated to Holy Wisdom, the same Greek word.
How popular is Sonia?
1066th in France and 1067th in England and Wales — a single rank apart.
Is Sonia a girl's or a boy's name?
Sonia is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Sonia?
Sonia has 2 syllables.
Is Sonia a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Sonia currently ranks #818 in France. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.