| Sofia | Katherine | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Wisdom | Pure |
| Origin | greek | Greek |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | so-FEE-ah | KATH-rin |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1881 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 2015 (9,702) | 1990 (11,625) |
| In 2025 | 8,252 | 1,670 |
| Trend | Steady | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Sofia | Katherine |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 45,288 | 10,675 |
| 2010s | 82,402 | 34,144 |
| 2000s | 43,380 | 65,356 |
| 1990s | 7,827 | 96,885 |
| 1980s | 2,643 | 99,175 |
| 1970s | 1,576 | 54,048 |
| 1960s | 898 | 50,619 |
| 1950s | 515 | 66,855 |
| 1940s | 380 | 39,912 |
| 1930s | 454 | 25,193 |
| 1920s | 628 | 42,745 |
| 1910s | 429 | 36,884 |
| 1900s | 166 | 12,105 |
| 1890s | 113 | 9,408 |
| 1880s | 45 | 6,922 |
From Greek 'sophia' (σοφία) meaning 'wisdom'. Long established as a given name honoring Holy Wisdom (Hagia Sophia).
Katherine comes from the Greek Aikaterine, of debated origin, long associated with katharos, “pure.” A name of saints, empresses and queens, it offers an unusual wealth of nicknames.
Sofia is more popular than Katherine today: about 8,252 US babies were given the name Sofia in 2025, compared with 1,670 named Katherine.
Sofia means Wisdom (greek origin), while Katherine means Pure (Greek origin).
In US records, Sofia first appears in 1881 and Katherine in 1880, so Katherine has the longer recorded history.