Girl · #3,260 in 2026

Sonja

Name: Popularity of the name Sonja in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Sonja, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Current Rank

#3,260

Peak Rank

#180 (1968)

Total Babies

40K

5-Yr Trend

-29%

1906

First Year

2026

Last Year

1968

Peak Year

#180

Peak Rank

40K

Total Count

115

Years Active

The Story of Sonja

Sonja first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1906, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1968, when 1,339 Sonjas were born — ranking #222 that year. As of 2026, Sonja ranks #3,260 for baby girls with 49 births, falling sharply (-29%). In total, more than 40K Sonjas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1900s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Sonja

Phonetically similar names — useful when Sonja is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Sonia
Sonya
Sanya
Sunya
Sinew
Sona
Sanyo
Sinu
Signo
Sanwa
Soia
Sinha

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Sonja

What does the name Sonja mean?

Sonja is a girl's name that has been used in U.S. records since 1906. Behind the Name doesn't list a specific etymology, but the name has remained in use across multiple decades.

How popular is Sonja in 2026?

In 2026, Sonja ranks #3,260 among girls' names in the U.S., with 49 babies given the name that year.

When was Sonja most popular?

Sonja reached its peak popularity in 1968, ranking #180 that year with 1,339 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Sonja most popular?

Sonja has historically been most popular in Wyoming, Wisconsin, Utah. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Sonja.

Is Sonja a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Sonja is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.

What names go well with Sonja?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Sonja include Fiona, Maci, Cierra. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Sonja

Sonja is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1906 and has accumulated 40K births in the dataset. Sonja's peak popularity came in 1968 when it ranked #180. Use the chart and map above to compare Sonja's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.