| Eleanor | Sofia | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Of uncertain origin, often “light” | Wisdom |
| Origin | Greek | greek |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | EL-uh-ner | so-FEE-ah |
| Syllables | 3 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1881 |
| Peak year | 1920 (8,497) | 2015 (9,702) |
| In 2025 | 7,649 | 8,252 |
| Trend | Rising | Steady |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Eleanor | Sofia |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 41,966 | 45,288 |
| 2010s | 40,129 | 82,402 |
| 2000s | 11,187 | 43,380 |
| 1990s | 4,871 | 7,827 |
| 1980s | 2,789 | 2,643 |
| 1970s | 2,750 | 1,576 |
| 1960s | 5,938 | 898 |
| 1950s | 11,065 | 515 |
| 1940s | 23,761 | 380 |
| 1930s | 46,379 | 454 |
| 1920s | 74,760 | 628 |
| 1910s | 54,163 | 429 |
| 1900s | 10,030 | 166 |
| 1890s | 4,754 | 113 |
| 1880s | 2,136 | 45 |
A name of debated origin, long associated with the Greek for “light” or “bright.” Borne by medieval queens.
From Greek 'sophia' (σοφία) meaning 'wisdom'. Long established as a given name honoring Holy Wisdom (Hagia Sophia).
Sofia is more popular than Eleanor today: about 8,252 US babies were given the name Sofia in 2025, compared with 7,649 named Eleanor.
Eleanor means Of uncertain origin, often “light” (Greek origin), while Sofia means Wisdom (greek origin).
In US records, Eleanor first appears in 1880 and Sofia in 1881, so Eleanor has the longer recorded history.