Sophia

The name Sophia derives from the Greek word for ‘wisdom’. Fashionable in 17th century Britain, the name has grown in popularity since the 1990s.

Detailed Meaning

Saint Sophia is revered as a Christian martyr.

The first recording of the name dates all the way back to the 4th century but gained momentum in the 17th century following the release of Henry Fielding’s novel Tom Jones.

Elsewhere in Europe, Sofia is the more popular spelling but here in the UK Sophia remains the more popular version of the name.

Famous People With This Name

Italian actress and singer Sophia Loren has had a wide-spanning international career dating back to the Golden Age of Hollywood. More recently, Colombian-American actress and model Sofia Vergara reached huge stardom playing the hugely popular role of Gloria on Modern Family.

Possible Nicknames

Possible nicknames include Sophie, Soph, Phia, Fifi and Posy.

Related Names

The name can also be spelt Sofia or Soffia is the Icelandic and Welsh spelling. Other similar sounding names include Olivia, Sylvia, Lucia and Cecilia, or Sofi is a more unique version of the name.

Stories Featuring This Name

Generally, while there are lots of fictional Sophies, Sophia (with this spelling) is much less common in literature and films and TV. The character of Sophia Western in the iconic 1794 novel Tom Jones, written by Henry Fielding, is probably the most famous. There is a popular Disney series (Sofia the First) but this uses the spelling Sofia.