Sonja
Girl · SOHN-ya · Greek
Sonja is a girls' name of Greek origin, meaning “wisdom”. In 2025 it ranked 3,902nd for girls in the US (37 babies).
What does Sonja mean?
Greek: Scandinavian and Slavic form of Sonya, from Sofia
“wisdom”
Borne by Norwegian figure skater Sonja Henie, Olympic champion in 1928, 1932 and 1936.
- Say it
- SOHN-ya
More on Wiktionary.
Is Sonja a girl's or a boy's name?
Sonja is a girls' name. In 2025, it was given to 37 girls in the US. Too few boys were given it to be listed.
How popular is Sonja in the UK?
No girls in the UK were given it in 2025, or too few to be listed. Its busiest year was 1999, with 9 girls.
Half of all the girls named Sonja in the UK since 1996 were born between 2000 and 2013. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier girls aren't counted.
Sonja in the UK, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1 | #7,491 |
| 2020 | 5 | #4,110 |
| 2019 | 4 | #4,904 |
| 2018 | 5 | #4,204 |
| 2017 | 0 | – |
| 2016 | 7 | #3,389 |
| 2015 | 0 | – |
| 2014 | 4 | #4,888 |
| 2013 | 8 | #3,060 |
| 2012 | 6 | #3,881 |
| 2011 | 8 | #3,041 |
| 2010 | 4 | #4,931 |
| 2009 | 8 | #2,909 |
| 2008 | 4 | #4,742 |
| 2007 | 3 | #5,415 |
| 2006 | 1 | #6,685 |
| 2005 | 3 | #4,976 |
| 2004 | 4 | #3,916 |
| 2003 | 5 | #3,233 |
| 2002 | 0 | – |
| 2001 | 6 | #2,587 |
| 2000 | 4 | #3,399 |
| 1999 | 9 | #1,921 |
| 1998 | 4 | #3,310 |
| 1997 | 5 | #2,896 |
| 1996 | 7 | #2,201 |
How popular is Sonja in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #3,902among girls
- Babies in 2025
- 37about 1 in 43,000 girls
- Five-year trend
- Fallingdown 32% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 girls
In 2025, 37 girls in the US were named Sonja, making it the 3,902nd most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 2,317th. Its busiest year was 1968, with 1,339 girls. It first appears in the records in 1906.
2025 had fewer girls named Sonja than any year since 1929.
Half of all the girls named Sonja in the US since 1880 were born between 1953 and 1975, the years shaded on the chart below.
Sonja in the US, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 37 | #3,902 |
| 2024 | 56 | #2,930 |
| 2023 | 65 | #2,674 |
| 2022 | 40 | #3,763 |
| 2021 | 68 | #2,558 |
| 2020 | 76 | #2,317 |
| 2019 | 80 | #2,272 |
| 2018 | 77 | #2,361 |
| 2017 | 69 | #2,546 |
| 2016 | 92 | #2,117 |
| 2015 | 86 | #2,194 |
| 2014 | 110 | #1,838 |
| 2013 | 110 | #1,834 |
| 2012 | 114 | #1,791 |
| 2011 | 108 | #1,857 |
| 2010 | 110 | #1,847 |
| 2009 | 121 | #1,785 |
| 2008 | 120 | #1,808 |
| 2007 | 105 | #1,957 |
| 2006 | 128 | #1,651 |
| 2005 | 127 | #1,598 |
| 2004 | 133 | #1,515 |
| 2003 | 114 | #1,675 |
| 2002 | 110 | #1,670 |
| 2001 | 106 | #1,697 |
| 2000 | 123 | #1,489 |
| 1999 | 146 | #1,269 |
| 1998 | 159 | #1,174 |
| 1997 | 151 | #1,197 |
| 1996 | 141 | #1,236 |
| 1995 | 121 | #1,352 |
| 1994 | 169 | #1,070 |
| 1993 | 169 | #1,076 |
| 1992 | 196 | #973 |
| 1991 | 206 | #931 |
| 1990 | 237 | #826 |
| 1989 | 272 | #725 |
| 1988 | 294 | #658 |
| 1987 | 303 | #630 |
| 1986 | 318 | #604 |
| 1985 | 303 | #620 |
| 1984 | 266 | #655 |
| 1983 | 314 | #572 |
| 1982 | 372 | #526 |
| 1981 | 401 | #501 |
| 1980 | 397 | #507 |
| 1979 | 438 | #460 |
| 1978 | 481 | #420 |
| 1977 | 518 | #401 |
| 1976 | 583 | #361 |
| 1975 | 615 | #353 |
| 1974 | 754 | #309 |
| 1973 | 884 | #278 |
| 1972 | 1,191 | #233 |
| 1971 | 1,188 | #247 |
| 1970 | 1,310 | #238 |
| 1969 | 1,314 | #229 |
| 1968 | 1,339 | #222 |
| 1967 | 1,335 | #220 |
| 1966 | 1,321 | #226 |
| 1965 | 1,125 | #255 |
| 1964 | 1,051 | #278 |
| 1963 | 995 | #294 |
| 1962 | 857 | #321 |
| 1961 | 867 | #320 |
| 1960 | 758 | #347 |
| 1959 | 678 | #365 |
| 1958 | 524 | #405 |
| 1957 | 531 | #398 |
| 1956 | 471 | #417 |
| 1955 | 445 | #418 |
| 1954 | 426 | #421 |
| 1953 | 413 | #427 |
| 1952 | 389 | #432 |
| 1951 | 397 | #417 |
| 1950 | 345 | #435 |
| 1949 | 412 | #390 |
| 1948 | 424 | #386 |
| 1947 | 496 | #362 |
| 1946 | 484 | #336 |
| 1945 | 455 | #316 |
| 1944 | 405 | #341 |
| 1943 | 525 | #304 |
| 1942 | 600 | #278 |
| 1941 | 567 | #267 |
| 1940 | 713 | #238 |
| 1939 | 862 | #203 |
| 1938 | 1,117 | #180 |
| 1937 | 560 | #262 |
| 1936 | 180 | #477 |
| 1935 | 92 | #701 |
| 1934 | 86 | #717 |
| 1933 | 54 | #923 |
| 1932 | 70 | #816 |
| 1931 | 51 | #970 |
| 1930 | 71 | #847 |
| 1929 | 37 | #1,222 |
| 1928 | 29 | #1,468 |
| 1927 | 25 | #1,668 |
| 1926 | 25 | #1,666 |
| 1925 | 18 | #2,118 |
| 1924 | 20 | #1,991 |
| 1923 | 23 | #1,782 |
| 1922 | 21 | #1,897 |
| 1921 | 22 | #1,867 |
| 1920 | 11 | #2,899 |
| 1919 | 9 | #3,217 |
| 1918 | 17 | #2,101 |
| 1917 | 16 | #2,099 |
| 1916 | 15 | #2,133 |
| 1915 | 11 | #2,525 |
| 1914 | 13 | #1,896 |
| 1913 | 8 | #2,330 |
| 1912 | 0 | – |
| 1911 | 0 | – |
| 1910 | 0 | – |
| 1909 | 0 | – |
| 1908 | 0 | – |
| 1907 | 0 | – |
| 1906 | 6 | #1,727 |
Names like Sonja
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
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