Sofia
Girl name · #9 in 2025 · Very well-known
How old is the name Sofia? In official American birth records, Sofia has been tracked continuously since 1881, giving it 144 years of documented American history.
Sofia is currently the #9 girl name in the United States — 8,252 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #14, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 218 girls born in 2025 was named Sofia.
The 144-year story
Sofia first appears in the Social Security records in 1881, when 6 girls received the name. Its peak came in 2015, when 9,702 girls were named Sofia — good for #14 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Sofia per year. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Sofia against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Sofia in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Sofia is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very well-known". A low score means broad familiarity: teachers will spell it right, and your child may share it with a classmate. For many families that's a feature, not a bug.
Where Sofia is most common
Geography matters for names, and Sofia is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Sofia is most common in DC (14 per 1,000), NM (13 per 1,000), NV (11 per 1,000), DE (9.3 per 1,000), RI (9 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 6.3 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Sofia is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Nicknames & related forms of Sofia
Sofia belongs to the Sophia family — closely related nicknames and spellings of the same name.
Counted as one name, the Sophia family went to about 24,797 girls in 2025 — together they'd rank around #1, versus #9 for Sofia alone.
Names like Sofia
Statistically, parents drawn to Sofia tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Sophia, Mia, Amelia, Ava, and Eliana.
SophiaMiaAmeliaAvaElianaIsabellaAriaCamila
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Sofia | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 8,252 | #9 |
| 2024 | 8,113 | #10 |
| 2023 | 7,665 | #12 |
| 2022 | 7,285 | #13 |
| 2021 | 6,983 | #18 |
| 2020 | 6,990 | #17 |
| 2019 | 7,402 | #17 |
| 2018 | 7,667 | #17 |
| 2017 | 8,175 | #15 |
| 2016 | 9,179 | #14 |
| 2015 | 9,702 | #14 |
| 2014 | 9,612 | #12 |
| 2013 | 9,169 | #13 |
| 2012 | 7,837 | #18 |
| 2011 | 7,331 | #19 |
| 2010 | 6,328 | #28 |
| 2009 | 5,696 | #36 |
| 2008 | 5,985 | #36 |
| 2007 | 6,049 | #36 |
| 2006 | 5,082 | #55 |
| 2005 | 5,162 | #52 |
| 2004 | 4,475 | #69 |
| 2003 | 3,488 | #97 |
| 2002 | 3,061 | #112 |
| 2001 | 2,288 | #145 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Sofia?
In official American birth records, the name Sofia first appeared in 1881 (over 144 years ago), when 6 newborn girls received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Sofia a popular girl name?
Sofia ranked #9 among girls in 2025 with 8,252 babies given the name — firmly in the top 100, so yes, it’s a popular choice. Ten years earlier it ranked #14.
When was the name Sofia most popular?
Sofia peaked in 2015, when 9,702 American girls received the name (ranked #14 that year). Since 2015 the name has recovered some ground.
How rare is the name Sofia?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 218 newborn American girls was named Sofia. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very well-known".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.