Sophia
A feminine name of Greek origin meaning "wisdom".
Our analysis of Social Security Administration records puts the number of living Americans named Sophia at approximately 403,644. That places it at #6 in the national ranking of first names. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Sophia today is around 16 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Sophia births was 2012 (22,353 babies). In terms of living bearers, it sits close to Andrea (400,693).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Sophia. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Sophia with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Although Sophia is used almost entirely for girls, the SSA data does show 500 boys registered with the name since 1880.
- • Sophia is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 16 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
404K
~ 1 in 849 Americans
Peak year
2012
22,353 babies that year
Average age
16
years old
2023 SSA rank
#6
Tracked since 1880
Census
Sophia in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 327,895 people with the first name Sophia, which placed it at #154 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
#154
National first-name rank
People counted
328K
327,895 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
108.6
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
50.3% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sophia
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Sophia is White at 50.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (32.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (6.5%). 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 Sophia 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 Sophia at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White50.3% · 164,828
- Hispanic or Latino32.2% · 105,423
- Asian and Pacific Islander6.5% · 21,433
- Two or more races5.9% · 19,221
- Black or African American4.7% · 15,344
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 1,646
Gender
Gender distribution for Sophia
Out of the 426,919 babies given the name Sophia since 1880, 99.9% were registered as female. The name sits firmly on the female side of the spectrum, with only a handful of male registrations across the entire dataset.
Sophia as a male name
- Ranked #8,822 in 2023
- 9 male births in 2023
- Peak: 2004 (40 births)
Sophia as a female name
- Ranked #6 in 2024
- 12,088 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2012 (22,335 births)
2020 Census snapshot
In the 2020 Census sex table, Sophia appears almost entirely female. Of the 327,891 people counted with this name, 99.9% were female and only a very small share were male.
Popularity
Sophia: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Sophia from the 1880s through to the 2020s, spanning 15 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 181,327 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Sophia remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Sophia 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 Sophia during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Sophias live
The SSA's state-level files cover 51 states and territories. California, Texas, New York recorded the most babies named Sophia, while Wyoming, Vermont, Montana recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 8,156 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Sophia
The name Sophia has its origins in Ancient Greek, derived from the word "σοφία" (sophia), meaning "wisdom" or "skill." This name has been widely used across various cultures and time periods, reflecting its deep-rooted significance.
In ancient Greek mythology, Sophia was the personification of wisdom and one of the four cardinal virtues, along with prudence, justice, and fortitude. The concept of Sophia was revered and celebrated, often depicted as a divine feminine figure.
The name Sophia is mentioned in various ancient texts, including the Bible. In the Book of Proverbs, Sophia is personified as the embodiment of wisdom, guiding humankind towards righteousness and virtue. Additionally, in the Gnostic tradition, Sophia played a central role as a divine feminine principle.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Sophia can be traced back to the 3rd century BC. One of the most notable figures bearing this name was Sophia of Milan, a Christian martyr who lived in the 4th century AD and was renowned for her unwavering faith and courage in the face of persecution.
Throughout history, numerous influential women have borne the name Sophia. One such figure was Sophia Palaiologina (1240-1321), a Byzantine empress and regent who played a crucial role in the political and cultural affairs of the Byzantine Empire during a turbulent period.
Another famous Sophia was Sophia Brahe (1556-1643), a Danish astronomer and horticulturist known for her contributions to the study of astronomy and her extensive gardens, which were considered remarkable for their time.
In the realm of literature, Sophia Valentina Gavrilovna Tolstaya (1844-1919), the wife of renowned Russian author Leo Tolstoy, was a prominent figure. She was instrumental in transcribing and preserving many of her husband's works, ensuring their legacy.
The name Sophia has also been associated with intellectual and philosophical pursuits. Sophia Germain (1776-1831), a French mathematician, made significant contributions to the fields of number theory and elasticity, paving the way for future advancements in mathematics.
Throughout the ages, the name Sophia has been embraced by numerous cultures, reflecting its enduring appeal and association with wisdom, intelligence, and grace. It continues to be a popular choice for parents seeking a name with depth and historical significance.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Sophia
People
Sophia + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Sophia 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
Sophia: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Sophia?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 403,644 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Sophia 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 849 US residents.
Is Sophia a common name?
We classify Sophia as "Common". It ranks above 99.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 426,919 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Sophia most popular?
The single biggest year for Sophia was 2012, when 22,353 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Sophia is about 16 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Sophia in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 327,895 people with the name Sophia, or 108.56 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #154 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 Sophia 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 Sophia?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Sophia appears almost entirely female. Of the 327,891 people counted with this name, 99.9% were female and only a very small share were male. 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 Sophia?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Sophia is White at 50.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (32.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (6.5%). 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 Sophia most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Sophia in the 2020 Census, accounting for 50.3% (164,828 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 Sophia in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Sophia a female name?
Yes, 99.9% of people registered as Sophia 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 Sophia still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Sophia 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 Sophia 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 are named Sophia?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.