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