Sonja
How to say it: SAHN-yuh · /ˈsɑnjə/
Scandinavian and Slavic form of Sophia; from Greek 'sophia' meaning 'wisdom'.
Sonja was the 801st most popular girls’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 37 babies (Social Security Administration). Its busiest decade was the 1960s, its births are down about 38% in ten years, and it is projected to slip to #894 by 2030.
Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · Insee 2025 data, published July 2026 · How we compute these figures
Key facts
| Rank among girls’ names, 2025 | #801 |
|---|---|
| Babies born in 2025 | 37 |
| Share of births | 1 in 10,764 |
| Peak decade | 1960s |
| Change over 10 years | −38% |
| Projected rank for 2030 (estimate) | #894 |
| In France, 2025 | #756 among girls’ names, 0 births |
Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA), Insee (France). How we compute these figures.
Its life, decade by decade
Sonja peaked in the 1960s and is less common today.
What goes with it
Nicknames
- Son
- Soni
Honouring a Sonja in the family
- Sonyaequivalent
- Soniaequivalent
- Sofiaequivalent
- Sanjaequivalent
In the classroom
In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Sonja is about under 1 in 200.
Around the world
This spelling is used in Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, German, Greek, Norwegian, Swedish.
In France: #756 for girls in 2025.
Famous people named Sonja
- Queen Sonja of Norway (born 1937)Queen Consort of Norway
- Sonja Henie (1912–1969)Norwegian figure skater and actress
- Sonja Lang (born 1978)Canadian writer and hyperpolyglot
From Wikidata and Wikipedia
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