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Home › Baby Names Directory › Sonia

Sonia

♀ Girl

Pronounced SOH-nyah /ˈsoʊ.njə/Low

Meaning: Wisdom, wise oneLow

In 30 seconds: Sonia is the Russian and Scandinavian diminutive of Sophia meaning wisdom. Used across Eastern and Northern Europe for generations, it gained wider international use through famous political and literary figures.
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Origin LowRussian, Greek, Slavic
MeaningWisdom, wise one
U.S. rank (2025)#1307 ↗ Rising
2025 U.S. births171 girls (0.01% of U.S. girls)
Peak year1970
Total births (all-time)≈ 66,748

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 197018952025

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Sonia is the Russian and Slavic diminutive of Sofia (from Greek sophia meaning wisdom). It has been widely used in Russia, Eastern Europe, and Scandinavia for several centuries.

US Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor has brought the name particular contemporary recognition. The Spanish Sonia coexists with the Russian form and the British spelling Sonya.

Did you know? Sonia appears as a beloved character in Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment (1866), where the compassionate selfless Sonia Marmeladova accompanies the tormented Raskolnikov to Siberia — making the name synonymous with profound empathy.
Overall data confidence 90%
Behind the Name: Sonia

Variations

SonjaSonyaSophiaSofia

Nicknames

SonSonny

Famous Bearers

  • ★Sonia Sotomayor (b. 1954)
    Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court and first Latina justice
  • ★Sonia Marmeladova (fictional) (fictional)
    Compassionate central character in Dostoevsky's novel Crime and Punishment

If you like Sonia…

Sophia— Root form of same name
Natasha— Russian feminine diminutive of similar style
Vera— Two-syllable Slavic name of same elegance
Katya— Russian diminutive name of same tradition

Explore names like Sonia

By themegreekclassictwo-syllableslavicrussianwisdom
By meaningWisdom

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does Sonia mean?

Sonia means wisdom as the Russian and Slavic diminutive of Sophia from the Greek sophia.

Is Sonia a Russian name?

Yes, Sonia is a Russian diminutive of Sofia widely used in Russia and Eastern Europe for centuries.

How do you pronounce Sonia?

Sonia is pronounced SOH-nyah with two syllables.

Who is famous named Sonia?

Notable Sonias include US Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor and the fictional Sonia in Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment.

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