A statue of Sophia, the personification of wisdom, in the Celsus Library in Ephesus, Turkey. A depiction of Saint Sophia and Her Three Daughters , Faith, Hope and Charity (icon of the Novgorod school, 16th century). Sophia Loren in 1955Sophia , also spelled Sofia , is a feminine given name , from Greek Σοφία, Sophía , "Wisdom" . Other forms include Sophie , Sophy , and Sofie.
The given name is first recorded in the beginning of the 4th century.[ 2]
Popularity
Sophia was known as the personification of wisdom by early Christians and Saint Sophia is also an early Christian martyr. Both associations contributed to the usage of the name. The name was comparatively common in continental Europe in the medieval and early modern period.
It was popularized in Britain by the German House of Hanover in the 18th century.
It was repeatedly popularised among the wider population, by the name of a character in the novel Tom Jones Henry Fielding , in The Vicar of Wakefield (1766) by Oliver Goldsmith , and in the 1960s by Italian actress Sophia Loren (b. 1934).
Sophia was comparatively popular in the United States in the late 19th and early 20th century; its use declined in the 1920s to 1950s; it became again moderately popular during the 1960s to 1980s.
During the 1990s to the 2010s, the popularity of the name rose dramatically in many countries throughout the western world. Suggested influences for this trend include Sofía Vergara and Sofia Coppola (popular from the late 1990s) and Sofia Hellqvist (popular from the 2000s).[ 3] Sophia and variants of the name remain among the most currently popularly given names for girls in countries across Europe as well as countries in North and South America, Australia, New Zealand, and others.[ 4]
In 2022, Sophia was the fifth most popular name given to girls in Canada, while Sofia was 13th.[ 5]
Name variants
Greek Σοφία was adopted without significant phonological changes into numerous languages,
as Sophia (German, and thence English)
and Sofia (Romance languages, and thence also to Germanic languages and Finnish, etc.).
The spelling Soffia is Icelandic and Welsh. Hungarian has Zsófia .
Modern Spanish uses the acute diacritic, Sofía .
South and East Slavic and Baltic languages have Sofija Sofiya Sofya Zofia, Žofia, Žofie .
French has the (disyllabic) hypocoristic Sophie , which was also introduced in German, Dutch/Flemish, English
and Scandinavian in the spelling Sofie and Sophy Sofieke .
Russian has the hypocoristic Соня (Sonya ), which in the late 19th century was introduced to Western languages, in the spellings Sonya , Sonia and Sonja , via characters with this name in the novels Crime and Punishment Fyodor Dostoyevsky (1866, English translation 1885) and War and Peace Leo Tolstoy (1869, English translation 1886).
Turkish Safiye is from the unrelated Arabic Safiyya (صفية
Persian Sofia (Persian : صوفیا) is from unrelated Sufi , a sect of Islam .[citation needed
People
Saints
Saint Sophia of Milan , feast day 17 September
Saint Sophia of Rome , martyr, feast day 15 MaySaint Sophia of Sortino (Sicily), martyr, feast day 23 September[ 6]
Saint Sophia of Fermo (March of Ancona), feast day 30 April[ 6]
Saints Sophia and Irene of Egypt (3rd century), feast day 4 June[ 6]
Saint Sophia of Thrace (9th century), feast day 4 June[ 6]
Saint Sofia of Suzdal (d. 1542), see Solomonia Yuryevna Saburova
Saint Sophia of Slutsk (d. 1612), see Sophia Olelkovich Radziwill
Royalty
Sofia
Sophia
Sophia (530–c. 601), Byzantine empressSophia of Minsk (d. 1198), Danish queenSophia of Halshany (1405 -1461), Queen of Poland and Grand Duchess of LithuaniaSophia Palaiologina (1455–1503), Grand Duchess of MoscowSophia Stuart (1606), daughter of James VI and ISophia of Hanover (1630–1714), heir to the English throneSophia Dorothea of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg (1636–1689), German noblewomanSophia Alekseyevna (1657–1704), Russian regentSophia Dorothea of Celle (1666–1726), Duchess of Brunswick-Lüneburg, wife of George I of Great BritainSophia Dorothea of Hanover (1687–1757), Queen Consort of Prussia, daughter of George I of Great BritainSophia Magdalen of Brandenburg-Kulmbach (1700–1770), Queen consort of Denmark-NorwayPrincess Sophia Dorothea of Prussia (1719–1765), daughter of Frederick William I of Prussia and Sophia Dorothea of HanoverMargravine Sophia Dorothea of Brandenburg-Schwedt (1736–1798), Duchess of WürttembergSophia Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1758–1794), Princess and Duchess of Mecklenburg-SchwerinPrincess Augusta Sophia of the United Kingdom (1768–1840), Duchess of Brunswick and LüneburgPrincess Sophia of the United Kingdom (1777–1848), British princessPrincess Sophia of Gloucester (1773–1844), British princessSophia Sidney, Baroness De L'Isle and Dudley (1796–1837), daughter of William IVSophia of Nassau (1836–1913), Queen Consort of Sweden and NorwaySophia of Prussia (1870–1932), Queen consort of Greece
other versions
Arts and entertainment industry
Sofia (Swedish singer) (nee Sofia Berntson), Swedish singerSophia Abrahão (born 1991), Brazilian actressSofia Achaval de Montaigu , Argentine fashion modelSophia Agranovich , Ukrainian-American pianist, recording artist and music educatorSophia Aliberti (born 1963), Greek actress and TV presenterSofia Andres (born 1998), Filipina actress and commercial modelSofia Barclay (born 1988), English actressSofía Bozán (1904–1958), Argentine actress and dancerSofía Camará (born 1991), Argentine drag performerSofia Carson (born 1993), American singer and actressSofiko Chiaureli (1937–2008), Georgian actressSofia Coppola (born 1971), American actress and directorSofia Crespo (born 1991), Argentine visual artistSophia de Mello Breyner Andresen (1919–2004), Portuguese poetSophia Baddeley (1745–1786), English actressSophia Bush (born 1982), American actressSophia Di Martino (born 1983), English actressSofia Djama , Algerian film directorSofie Dossi (born 2001), American contortionistSophia Dussek (1775–1831), Scottish composerSofia Essaïdi (born 1984), Franco-Moroccan singerSofía Gala (born 1987), Argentine actressSofia Gubaidulina (born 1931), Russian-Tatar composerSophia Peabody Hawthorne (1809–1871), American painterSofia Hayat (born 1974), British-Indian model and actressSophia Jex-Blake (1840–1912), English physicianSofia Karlsson (born 1975), Swedish musicianSophia Karp (1861–1904), Romanian actressSophia Kokosalaki (1972–2019), Greek fashion designerZofia Kossak-Szczucka (1889–1968), Polish writerSophia Laforteza (born 2002), Filipino-American singer, dancer and member of global pop group KATSEYE Sophia Laskaridou (1882–1965), Greek artistSophia Lee (1750–1824), English novelistSophia Lillis (born 2002), American actressSophia Loren (born 1934), Italian actressSofia Martins de Sousa (1870–1960), Portuguese painterSophia McDougall (born 1979), British authorSophia Michahelles (born 1976), American puppeteerSofia Milos (born 1969), Swiss actressSophia Myles (born 1980), English actressZofia Nałkowska (1884–1954), Polish writer, author of Medallions Sofia Pablo (born 2006), Filipina actress and commercial modelSophia Yakovlevna Parnok (1885–1933), Russian poetSofía Reca (born 1984), Argentine actressSofía Recondo (born 1985), Argentine actressSofia Rei , Argentine musicianSophia Reid-Gantzert (born 2010), Canadian actress and dancerSofia Reyes (born 1995), Mexican singer and songwriterSophia Romero , American writerSofia Rotaru (born 1947), Ukrainian singerSofia Samatar (born 1971), Somali-American writerSofie Sarenbrant (born 1978), Swedish authorSophia Senoron (born 1999), Filipino actress, host, model and a beauty pageant titleholderSophia Sergio (born 1992), Italian beauty pageant titleholderSofia Shinas (born 1968), Canadian artistSofia Tarasova (born 2001), Ukrainian singer and actressSofía Tartilán (1829–1888), Spanish writerSophie Turner (born 1996), English ActressSofia Vembo (1910–1978), Greek singerSofia Vassilieva (born 1992), American actressSofía Vergara (born 1972), Colombian model and actressSofia Vicoveanca (born 1941), Romanian folk singerSofía von Ellrichshausen (born 1976), Argentine architect and artistSophia Vossou (born 1961), Greek singerSofia Wylie (born 2004), American actressSophia Yan (born 1986), American classical pianistSofie Zamchick (born 1994), American singer and actressSofía Zámolo (born 1983), Argentine model, actress and TV presenter
Sports
Sofia Akateva (born 2007), Russian figure skaterSofia Akhmeteli (born 1981), Georgian alpine skierSofia Arvidsson (born 1984), Swedish tennis playerSofia Asoumanaki (born 1997), Greek rowerSofia Bekatorou (born 1977), Greek sailor and Olympic gold medalistSofiya Bozhanova (born 1967), Bulgarian long and triple jumpSophia Braun (born 2000), Argentine footballerSofía Cairó (born 2002), Argentine field hockey playerSophia Diagne (born 1998), Senegalese swimmerSophia Ellis (born 1996), British powerlifterSophia Flörsch (born 2000), German racing driverSofia Goggia (born 1992), Italian World Cup alpine ski racerSofía Gómez Villafañe (born 1994), Argentine bikerSofia Gonzalez (born 2001), Swiss Paralympic athleteSophia Elizabeth Herzog (born 1997), American swimmerSofia Huerta (born 1992), American professional soccer playerSofia Iosifidou (born 1981), Greek water polo playerSofia Jakobsson (born 1990), Swedish professional soccer playerSofia Kenin (born 1998), American tennis playerSophia Koggouli (born 1991), Greek footballerSofia Konukh (born 1980), Russian water polo playerSofía Luini (born 1992), Argentine tennis playerSofía Maccari (born 1984), Argentine field hockey playerSofía MacKenzie (born 1972), Argentine field hockey playerSophia Morgan , Fijian sailorSofía Mulánovich (born 1983), Peruvian surferSofia Muratova (1929–2006), Russian gymnastSofia Papadopoulou (born 1983), Greek sailorSophia Papamichalopoulou (born 1990), alpine skier who represented CyprusSofia Polgar (born 1974), Hungarian-born Israeli and Canadian chess grandmasterSophia Poor (born 2006), English association footballerSofía Ramallo (born 2001), Argentine field hockey playerSofia Riga , Greek runnerSofia Sakorafa (born 1957), Greek javelin thrower and politicianSofia Samodelkina (born 2007), Russian figure skaterSofia Samodurova (born 2002), Russian figure skaterSofía Sánchez (born 1989), Argentine synchronized swimmerSofia Thøgersen (born 2005), Danish runnerSofia Tikhonova (born 1998), Russian ski jumperSofía Toccalino (born 1997), Argentine field hockey playerSofía Usandizaga (born 1970), Argentine sailorSofya Velikaya (born 1985), Russian Olympic fencerSofía Villarroya (born 1992), Argentine field hockey playerSophia Warner (born 1974), Paralympian track and field athlete from EnglandSofia Yfantidou (born 1985), Greek track and field athlete
Other
Sophia (robot) , humanoid artificial intelligenceSophia Aggelonitis , Canadian politicianSofia Amloh (born 1986), Swedish politicianSophia Hayden Bennett (1868–1953), American architectSophia Brahe (1556–1643), Danish astronomerSofía Brambilla (born 1980), Argentine politicianSophia Chan (born 1958), Hong Kong professor and politicianSofía Cid (born 1971), Chilean politicianSophia Collier (born 1956), American entrepreneurSophia Drossopoulou , Greek computer scientistSophia Eckerson (1880–1954), American botanist and microchemistSophia Forero (born 1967), American jewelry designerSofia Gatica (born 1967), Argentine environmentalistSophia Getzowa (1872–1946), Belarusian-Israeli pathologist and scientistSofía Heinonen , Argentine conservationistSophia Orne Johnson (1826–1899), American authorSofia Kovalevskaya (1850–1891), Russian mathematicianSophie Lancaster (1986–2007), English murder victimSophia Leung (born 1933), Canadian politicianSofie Lippert (born 1995), Danish politicianSophia Lösche , German murder victimSophia Lvovna Perovskaya (1853–1881), Russian revolutionarySofia Manzano (born 1971), Brazilian politicianSofia Merajver (born 1953), Argentine medical oncologistSofie Merckx (born 1974), Belgian politicianSofia Richie (born 1998), American fashion model, daughter of Lionel RichieSophie Scholl (1921–1943), German student and anti-Nazi political activistSophia D. Stoddard (1820–1891), American educatorSofia Tekela-Smith (born 1970), New Zealand artistSophie Toscan du Plantier (1957–1996), French murder victimSophia Wellbeloved , Irish historian, artist, and teacherSophia Wilson (1860–1???), Japanese courtesan and wife of Captain John Wilson
Fictional characters
Sophia, in the 2008 Indian film Race
Sofia Cordova, main character from the animated TV show Sofia the First
Sophie Amundsen, main character from the novel Sophie's World
Sofia Constantinas , from the comic Wonder Woman Sofia Curtis , from the TV series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Sofia Johnson, from film The Color Purple
Sofia Dupre , a character on the American soap opera The Young and the Restless Sofia Lamb, from the video game BioShock 2
Sofia Petrovna , a character from the novel of the same nameSofia Sartor from the video game Assassin's Creed: Revelations
Sofia Serrano from the film Vanilla Sky
Sofia Robbin Sloan Torres, daughter of Callie Torres, Mark Sloan, and Arizona Robbins from Grey's Anatomy
Sophia, playable character from Fire Emblem: Fūin no Tsurugi
Sophia Aubrey, from the Aubrey-Maturin series of novels by Patrick O'Brian
Sophia Esteed, from the video game Star Ocean: Till the End of Time
Sophia Forrester , from the animated TV series Last Exile Sophia Hapgood , from the video game Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis Sophia Lopez , from the TV series Nip/Tuck Sophia Peletier , from the TV series and comic books The Walking Dead Sophia Petrillo , from the TV series The Golden Girls Sophia Marlowe, from the TV series Girlboss
Sophia Tutu, a character from the animated TV series The Raccoons
Sophia Western, main heroine of the novel The History of Tom Jones
Sophie, from the video game Tales of Graces
Sophie Neveu Saint-Clair, character in Dan Brown's book The Da Vinci Code
Sophie Zawistowska, the title character of the novel and movie Sophie's Choice
Sophia, a fictional character from the video game Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box
Sofia Porter, technician of the MD-5 group and Lucinia's sister in the Meta Runner internet series.
Sophie Norton, from the Nickelodeon series Genie in the House
Sophie Hatter, from the book and movie Howl's Moving Castle
Mother Sophia, a key historical figure in Xenogears
Sophia, a character who fuses demons for the protagonist in Shin Megami Tensei V
See also
References
^ "Online Etymology Dictionary" . etymonline.com .^ V. Saxer, "Sophia v. Rom" in: Lexikon für Theologie und Kirche vol. 9 (1993), 733f. , citing H.-L. Marrou, Dame Sagesse et ses trois filles: Mél. Ch. Mohrmann (1963), 177–183.
^ Olivia Petter, This is the most popular girl's name in the world , 25 October 2017.
Miranda Larbi, Sofia is the most popular girl’s name in the world , Metro.co.uk, 26 October 2017.
Catriona Harvey-Jenner, This is the most popular baby name for girls in the world , Cosmopolitan, 26 October 2017.
^ Sophia , Sofia (behindthename.com)^ "Table 17-10-0147-01 First names at birth by sex at birth, selected indicators (Number)" . Statistics Canada . Retrieved 2024-08-25 .^ a b c d Paul Guerin, Les petits Bollandistes vies des saints (1874), p. 552
External links
_in_the_Celsus_Library_in_Ephesus.JPG)
