Sonja
Girl name · #3909 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Sonja? In official American birth records, Sonja has been tracked continuously since 1906, giving it 119 years of documented American history.
Sonja ranks #3909 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 37 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #2194, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 48,649 girls born in 2025 was named Sonja.
Babies named Sonja per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 119-year story
Sonja first appears in the Social Security records in 1906, when 6 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1968, when 1,339 girls were named Sonja — good for #222 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. 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.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Sonja against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Sonja in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Sonja is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Sonja will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Sonja is most common
State-level data for Sonja is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Sonja
Statistically, parents drawn to Sonja tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Sonya, Sheila, Deena, Ursula, and Dena.
SonyaSheilaDeenaUrsulaDenaTinaTwilaYolanda
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Sonja | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 37 | #3903 |
| 2024 | 56 | #2930 |
| 2023 | 65 | #2674 |
| 2022 | 40 | #3765 |
| 2021 | 68 | #2558 |
| 2020 | 76 | #2317 |
| 2019 | 80 | #2272 |
| 2018 | 77 | #2361 |
| 2017 | 69 | #2546 |
| 2016 | 92 | #2117 |
| 2015 | 86 | #2194 |
| 2014 | 110 | #1838 |
| 2013 | 110 | #1834 |
| 2012 | 114 | #1791 |
| 2011 | 108 | #1857 |
| 2010 | 110 | #1847 |
| 2009 | 121 | #1785 |
| 2008 | 120 | #1808 |
| 2007 | 105 | #1957 |
| 2006 | 128 | #1651 |
| 2005 | 127 | #1599 |
| 2004 | 133 | #1516 |
| 2003 | 114 | #1676 |
| 2002 | 110 | #1671 |
| 2001 | 106 | #1700 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Sonja?
In official American birth records, the name Sonja first appeared in 1906 (over 119 years ago), when 6 newborn girls received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 119 years.
Is Sonja a popular girl name?
Sonja ranked #3909 among girls in 2025 with 37 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #2194.
When was the name Sonja most popular?
Sonja peaked in 1968, when 1,339 American girls received the name (ranked #222 that year). Since 1968 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Sonja?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 48,649 newborn American girls was named Sonja. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.