Sophia (given name)

Sophia, 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. It is a common female name in the Eastern Orthodox countries. It became very popular in the West beginning in the later 1990s and became one of the most popularly given girls' names in the Western world in the first decades of the 21st century.

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 (1794) by 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). 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.

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 (Софија), Sofiya (София) and Sofya (Софья). West Slavic (Polish and Czech-Slovak) introduced a voiced sibilant, 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. A Dutch hypocoristic is 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 by Fyodor Dostoyevsky (1866, English translation 1885) and War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy (1869, English translation 1886).

Turkish Safiye is from the unrelated Arabic Safiyya (صفية "pure").

Persian Sofia (Persian: صوفیا) is from unrelated Sufi, a sect of Islam.

Saints

 * Saint Sophia of Milan, feast day 17 September
 * Saint Sophia of Rome, martyr, feast day 15 May
 * Saint Sophia of Sortino (Sicily), martyr, feast day 23 September
 * Saint Sophia of Fermo (March of Ancona), feast day 30 April
 * Saints Sophia and Irene of Egypt (3rd century), feast day 4 June
 * Saint Sophia of Thrace (9th century), feast day 4 June
 * Saint Sofia of Suzdal (d. 1542), see Solomonia Yuryevna Saburova
 * Saint Sophia of Slutsk (d. 1612), see Sophia Olelkovich Radziwill

Sofia

 * Sofia of Bavaria Wittelsbach (1376–1425), Queen of Bohemia
 * Queen Sofía of Spain (born 1938), Queen consort of Spain
 * Princess Sofia, Duchess of Värmland (born 1984), wife of Prince Carl Philip, Duke of Värmland
 * Infanta Sofía of Spain (born 2007), a Spanish princess

Sophia

 * Sophia (530–c. 601), Byzantine empress
 * Sophia of Minsk (d. 1198), Danish queen
 * Sophia Palaiologina (1455–1503), Grand Duchess of Moscow
 * Sophia Stuart (1606), daughter of James VI and I
 * Sophia of Hanover (1630–1714), heir to the English throne
 * Sophia Dorothea of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg (1636–1689), German noblewoman
 * Sophia Alekseyevna (1657–1704), Russian regent
 * Sophia Dorothea of Celle (1666–1726), Duchess of Brunswick-Lüneburg, wife of George I of Great Britain
 * Sophia Dorothea of Hanover (1687–1757), Queen Consort of Prussia, daughter of George I of Great Britain
 * Sophia Magdalen of Brandenburg-Kulmbach (1700–1770), Queen consort of Denmark-Norway
 * Princess Sophia Dorothea of Prussia (1719–1765), daughter of Frederick William I of Prussia and Sophia Dorothea of Hanover
 * Margravine Sophia Dorothea of Brandenburg-Schwedt (1736–1798), Duchess of Württemberg
 * Sophia Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1758–1794), Princess and Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
 * Princess Augusta Sophia of the United Kingdom (1768–1840), Duchess of Brunswick and Lüneburg
 * Princess Sophia of the United Kingdom (1777–1848), British princess
 * Princess Sophia of Gloucester (1773–1844), British princess
 * Sophia Sidney, Baroness De L'Isle and Dudley (1796–1837), daughter of William IV
 * Sophia of Nassau (1836–1913), Queen Consort of Sweden and Norway
 * Sophia of Prussia (1870–1932), Queen consort of Greece

other versions

 * Safiye Sultan (1550–1619), wife of Murad III, mother of Mehmed III; originally named Sofia
 * Princess Sophie of Greece and Denmark (1914–2001), later Princess of Hesse, Princes of Hannover
 * Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh (born 1965), wife of Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh

Arts and entertainment industry

 * Sofia (Swedish singer) (nee Sofia Berntson), Swedish singer
 * Sophia Abrahão (born 1991), Brazilian actress
 * Sofia Achaval de Montaigu, Argentine fashion model
 * Sophia Agranovich, Ukrainian-American pianist, recording artist and music educator
 * Sophia Aliberti (born 1963), Greek actress and TV presenter
 * Sofia Andres (born 1998), Filipina actress and commercial model
 * Sofía Bozán (1904–1958), Argentine actress and dancer
 * Sofía Camará (born 1991), Argentine drag performer
 * Sofia Carson (born 1993), American singer and actress
 * Sofiko Chiaureli (1937–2008), Georgian actress
 * Sofia Coppola (born 1971), American actress and director
 * Sofia Crespo (born 1991), Argentine visual artist
 * Sophia de Mello Breyner Andresen (1919–2004), Portuguese poet
 * Sophia Baddeley (1745–1786), English actress
 * Sophia Bush (born 1982), American actress
 * Sophia Di Martino (born 1983), English actress
 * Sofia Djama, Algerian film director
 * Sofie Dossi (born 2001), American contortionist
 * Sophia Dussek (1775–1831), Scottish composer
 * Sofia Essaïdi (born 1984), Franco-Moroccan singer
 * Sofía Gala (born 1987), Argentine actress
 * Sofia Gubaidulina (born 1931), Russian-Tatar composer
 * Sophia Peabody Hawthorne (1809–1871), American painter
 * Sofia Hayat (born 1974), British-Indian model and actress
 * Sophia Jex-Blake (1840–1912), English physician
 * Sofia Karlsson (born 1975), Swedish musician
 * Sophia Karp (1861–1904), Romanian actress
 * Sophia Kokosalaki (1972–2019), Greek fashion designer
 * Zofia Kossak-Szczucka (1889–1968), Polish writer
 * Sophia Laforteza (born 2002), Filipino-American singer, dancer and member of global pop group KATSEYE
 * Sophia Laskaridou, Greek artist
 * Sophia Lee (1750–1824), English novelist
 * Sophia Lillis (born 2002), American actress
 * Sophia Loren (born 1934), Italian actress
 * Sofia Martins de Sousa (1870–1960), Portuguese painter
 * Sophia McDougall (born 1979), British author
 * Sophia Michahelles (born 1976), American puppeteer
 * Sofia Milos (born 1969), Swiss actress
 * Sophia Myles (born 1980), English actress
 * Zofia Nałkowska, Polish writer, author of Medallions
 * Sofia Pablo (born 2006), Filipina actress and commercial model
 * Sophia Yakovlevna Parnok (1885–1933), Russian poet
 * Sofía Reca (born 1984), Argentine actress
 * Sofía Recondo (born 1985), Argentine actress
 * Sofia Rei, Argentine musician
 * Sophia Reid-Gantzert (born 2010), Canadian actress and dancer
 * Sofia Reyes, Mexican singer and songwriter
 * Sophia Romero, American writer
 * Sofia Rotaru (born 1947), Ukrainian singer
 * Sofia Samatar (born 1971), Somali-American writer
 * Sophia Senoron (born 1999), Filipino actress, host, model and a beauty pageant titleholder
 * Sophia Sergio (born 1992), Italian beauty pageant titleholder
 * Sofia Shinas (born 1968), Canadian artist
 * Sofia Tarasova, Ukrainian singer and actress
 * Sofía Tartilán (1829–1888), Spanish writer
 * Sophie Turner (born 1996), English Actress
 * Sofia Vembo, Greek singer
 * Sofia Vassilieva (born 1992), American actress
 * Sofía Vergara (born 1972), Colombian model and actress
 * Sofia Vicoveanca (born 1941), Romanian folk singer
 * Sofía von Ellrichshausen (born 1976), Argentine architect and artist
 * Sophia Vossou (born 1961), Greek singer
 * Sofia Wylie (born 2004), American actress
 * Sophia Yan (born 1986), American classical pianist
 * Sofie Zamchick (born 1994), American singer and actress
 * Sofía Zámolo (born 1983), Argentine model, actress and TV presenter

Sports

 * Sofia Akateva (born 2007), Russian figure skater
 * Sofia Akhmeteli (born 1981), Georgian alpine skier
 * Sofia Arvidsson (born 1984), Swedish tennis player
 * Sofia Asoumanaki, Greek rower
 * Sofia Bekatorou (born 1977), Greek sailor and Olympic gold medalist
 * Sofiya Bozhanova (born 1967), Bulgarian long and triple jump
 * Sophia Braun (born 2000), Argentine footballer
 * Sofía Cairó (born 2002), Argentine field hockey player
 * Sophia Diagne (born 1998), Senegalese swimmer
 * Sophia Ellis (born 1996), British powerlifter
 * Sophia Flörsch (born 2000), German racing driver
 * Sofia Goggia (born 1992), Italian World Cup alpine ski racer
 * Sofía Gómez Villafañe (born 1994), Argentine biker
 * Sofia Gonzalez (born 2001), Swiss Paralympic athlete
 * Sophia Elizabeth Herzog (born 1997), American swimmer
 * Sofia Huerta (born 1992), American professional soccer player
 * Sofia Iosifidou, Greek water polo player
 * Sofia Jakobsson (born 1990), Swedish professional soccer player
 * Sofia Kenin, American tennis player
 * Sophia Koggouli, Greek footballer
 * Sofia Konukh (born 1980), Russian water polo player
 * Sofía Luini (born 1992), Argentine tennis player
 * Sofía Maccari (born 1984), Argentine field hockey player
 * Sofía MacKenzie (born 1972), Argentine field hockey player
 * Sophia Morgan, Fijian sailor
 * Sofía Mulánovich (born 1983), Peruvian surfer
 * Sofia Muratova (1929–2006), Russian gymnast
 * Sofia Papadopoulou (born 1983), Greek sailor
 * Sophia Papamichalopoulou (born 1990), alpine skier who represented Cyprus
 * Sofia Polgar, Hungarian-born Israeli and Canadian chess grandmaster
 * Sofía Ramallo (born 2001), Argentine field hockey player
 * Sofia Riga, Greek runner
 * Sofia Sakorafa (born 1957), Greek javelin thrower and politician
 * Sofia Samodelkina (born 2007), Russian figure skater
 * Sofia Samodurova (born 2002), Russian figure skater
 * Sofía Sánchez (born 1989), Argentine synchronized swimmer
 * Sofia Thøgersen (born 2005), Danish runner
 * Sofia Tikhonova (born 1998), Russian ski jumper
 * Sofía Toccalino (born 1997), Argentine field hockey player
 * Sofía Usandizaga (born 1970), Argentine sailor
 * Sofya Velikaya (born 1985), Russian Olympic fencer
 * Sofía Villarroya (born 1992), Argentine field hockey player
 * Sophia Warner (born 1974), Paralympian track and field athlete from England
 * Sofia Yfantidou, Greek track and field athlete

Other

 * Sophia (robot), humanoid artificial intelligence
 * Sophia Aggelonitis, Canadian politician
 * Sofia Amloh (born 1986), Swedish politician
 * Sophia Hayden Bennett (1868–1953), American architect
 * Sophia Brahe (1556–1643), Danish astronomer
 * Sofía Brambilla (born 1980), Argentine politician
 * Sophia Chan (born 1958), Hong Kong professor and politician
 * Sophia Collier (born 1956), American entrepreneur
 * Sophia Drossopoulou, Greek computer scientist
 * Sophia Eckerson (1880–1954), American botanist and microchemist
 * Sophia Forero (born 1967), American jewelry designer
 * Sofia Gatica (born 1967), Argentine environmentalist
 * Sophia Getzowa (1872–1946), Belarusian-Israeli pathologist and scientist
 * Sofía Heinonen, Argentine conservationist
 * Sophia Orne Johnson (1826–1899), American author
 * Sofia Kovalevskaya (1850–1891), Russian mathematician
 * Sophie Lancaster (1986–2007), English murder victim
 * Sophia Leung (born 1933), Canadian politician
 * Sofie Lippert (born 1995), Danish politician
 * Sophia Lösche, German murder victim
 * Sophia Lvovna Perovskaya (1853–1881), Russian revolutionary
 * Sofia Manzano (born 1971), Brazilian politician
 * Sofia Merajver (born 1953), Argentine medical oncologist
 * Sofia Richie (born 1998), American fashion model, daughter of Lionel Richie
 * Sophie Scholl (1921–1943), German student and anti-Nazi political activist
 * Sophia D. Stoddard, American educator
 * Sofia Tekela-Smith (born 1970), New Zealand artist
 * Sophie Toscan du Plantier (1957–1996), French murder victim
 * Sophia Wellbeloved, Irish historian, artist, and teacher
 * Sophia Wilson (1860–1???), Japanese courtesan and wife of Captain John Wilson

Fictional characters

 * Sophia, in the 2008 Indian film Race, played by Katrina Kaif
 * 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 name
 * Sofia 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