Sonia
Sonia is a feminine given name in many areas of the world including the West, Russia, Iran, and South Asia. Sonia and its variant spellings Sonja and Sonya are used in many countries, including Russia, as a diminutive for Sofiya.
Meaning & Origin of Sonia
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Sonia is a feminine given name in many areas of the world including the West, Russia, Iran, and South Asia. Sonia and its variant spellings Sonja and Sonya are used in many countries, including Russia, as a diminutive for Sofiya.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Sonia
Sonia first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1895, with 7 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1970, when 1,767 Sonias were born — ranking #186 that year. As of 2026, Sonia ranks #1,367 for baby girls with 165 births, falling sharply (-21%). In total, more than 67K Sonias have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1890s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Sonia
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Queen Sonja of Norway (born 1937)
- Sonia, alias of Omaira Rojas Cabrera (born 1967), FARC-EP guerrilla member
- Sonya, cover name of the Soviet spy Ursula Kuczynski (1907–2000)
- Sonja Albrink (1948–2012), Danish politician
- Sonja Bakić (born 1984), Serbian pop/rock singer
- Sonia Balassanian (born 1942), Iranian-born Armenian painter, sculptor, and curator
- Sonja Barend (1940–2026), Dutch television personality and talk show host
- Sonja Barjaktarović (born 1986), Montenegrin handball goalkeeper
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Sonia
Phonetically similar names — useful when Sonia is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Sonia
What does the name Sonia mean?
How popular is Sonia in 2026?
When was Sonia most popular?
In which U.S. states is Sonia most popular?
Is Sonia a unisex name?
What names go well with Sonia?
About the name Sonia
Sonia is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1895 and has accumulated 67K births in the dataset. Sonia's peak popularity came in 1970 when it ranked #165. Use the chart and map above to compare Sonia's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1970 →
- Names of the 1970s →
- Names starting with "S" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.