Sonya
Girl name · #1930 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Sonya? In official American birth records, Sonya has been tracked continuously since 1905, giving it 120 years of documented American history.
Sonya is currently the #1930 girl name in the United States — 100 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #1411, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 18,000 girls born in 2025 was named Sonya.
The 120-year story
Sonya first appears in the Social Security records in 1905, when 5 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1967, when 2,980 girls were named Sonya — good for #114 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.
Babies named Sonya per year. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Sonya against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Sonya in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Sonya is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Sonya will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Sonya is most common
State-level data for Sonya 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 Sonya
Statistically, parents drawn to Sonya tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Tanya, Sonja, Audra, Sonia, and Sheila.
TanyaSonjaAudraSoniaSheilaGinaTamaraMarla
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Sonya | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 100 | #1927 |
| 2024 | 104 | #1913 |
| 2023 | 107 | #1865 |
| 2022 | 114 | #1793 |
| 2021 | 99 | #1971 |
| 2020 | 110 | #1792 |
| 2019 | 99 | #1961 |
| 2018 | 123 | #1685 |
| 2017 | 135 | #1607 |
| 2016 | 137 | #1605 |
| 2015 | 164 | #1411 |
| 2014 | 161 | #1416 |
| 2013 | 190 | #1254 |
| 2012 | 195 | #1243 |
| 2011 | 170 | #1354 |
| 2010 | 194 | #1241 |
| 2009 | 221 | #1146 |
| 2008 | 201 | #1250 |
| 2007 | 223 | #1147 |
| 2006 | 255 | #1008 |
| 2005 | 214 | #1105 |
| 2004 | 222 | #1043 |
| 2003 | 238 | #974 |
| 2002 | 248 | #905 |
| 2001 | 210 | #1025 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Sonya?
In official American birth records, the name Sonya first appeared in 1905 (over 120 years ago), when 5 newborn girls received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 120 years.
Is Sonya a popular girl name?
Sonya ranked #1930 among girls in 2025 with 100 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1411.
When was the name Sonya most popular?
Sonya peaked in 1967, when 2,980 American girls received the name (ranked #114 that year). Since 1967 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Sonya?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 18,000 newborn American girls was named Sonya. 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.