Sonja
Sonja is a name with multiple cultural origins: German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Finnish, Slovene, Serbian, Croatian, Macedonian.
- German
- Dutch
- Swedish
- Norwegian
Meaning & Origin of Sonja
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Sonja is a name with multiple cultural origins: German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Finnish, Slovene, Serbian, Croatian, Macedonian.
Origin data from Behind the Name .
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- German
- Dutch
- Swedish
- Norwegian
- Danish
- Icelandic
- Finnish
- Slovene
- Serbian
- Croatian
- Macedonian
The Story of Sonja
The earliest SSA record of Sonja as a baby girl name dates back to 1906, when 6 babies received it. 1968 was its biggest year on record, with 1,339 newborns named Sonja — #222 in the national rankings. About 28% of every Sonja on record arrived during the 1960s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Sonja ranks #3,260 for baby girls with 49 births, falling sharply (-29%). All told, over 40K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1900s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Sonja
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Sonja. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
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.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Sonja
What does the name Sonja mean?
What is the origin of the name Sonja?
How popular is Sonja in 2026?
When was Sonja most popular?
In which U.S. states is Sonja most popular?
Is Sonja a unisex name?
What names go well with Sonja?
What are nicknames or variants of Sonja?
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
- Top names of 1968 →
- Names of the 1960s →
- 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.