| Alexandra | Sofia | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Defender of the people | Wisdom |
| Origin | Greek | greek |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | al-ig-ZAN-druh | so-FEE-ah |
| Syllables | 4 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1894 | 1881 |
| Peak year | 1993 (10,683) | 2015 (9,702) |
| In 2025 | 1,314 | 8,252 |
| Trend | Declining | Steady |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Alexandra | Sofia |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 9,421 | 45,288 |
| 2010s | 30,971 | 82,402 |
| 2000s | 61,253 | 43,380 |
| 1990s | 94,806 | 7,827 |
| 1980s | 34,817 | 2,643 |
| 1970s | 6,960 | 1,576 |
| 1960s | 3,244 | 898 |
| 1950s | 1,598 | 515 |
| 1940s | 1,169 | 380 |
| 1930s | 444 | 454 |
| 1920s | 370 | 628 |
| 1910s | 327 | 429 |
| 1900s | 58 | 166 |
| 1890s | 13 | 113 |
| 1880s | 0 | 45 |
Alexandra is the feminine of Alexander, from the Greek for “defender of the people.” It has long been a favourite among European royalty.
From Greek 'sophia' (σοφία) meaning 'wisdom'. Long established as a given name honoring Holy Wisdom (Hagia Sophia).
Sofia is more popular than Alexandra today: about 8,252 US babies were given the name Sofia in 2025, compared with 1,314 named Alexandra.
Alexandra means Defender of the people (Greek origin), while Sofia means Wisdom (greek origin).
In US records, Alexandra first appears in 1894 and Sofia in 1881, so Sofia has the longer recorded history.