| Sophia | Margaret | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Wisdom | Pearl |
| Origin | Greek | Greek |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | so-FEE-uh | MAR-gret |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 2012 (22,336) | 1921 (28,468) |
| In 2025 | 12,561 | 2,436 |
| Trend | Declining | Steady |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Sophia | Margaret |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 74,758 | 13,477 |
| 2010s | 181,174 | 20,036 |
| 2000s | 119,251 | 23,919 |
| 1990s | 24,503 | 31,294 |
| 1980s | 10,823 | 30,352 |
| 1970s | 4,581 | 31,947 |
| 1960s | 4,908 | 81,870 |
| 1950s | 1,578 | 149,582 |
| 1940s | 1,054 | 173,028 |
| 1930s | 1,117 | 157,369 |
| 1920s | 3,277 | 245,011 |
| 1910s | 5,237 | 189,234 |
| 1900s | 2,460 | 57,919 |
| 1890s | 2,522 | 37,937 |
| 1880s | 1,865 | 21,799 |
Sophia is the Greek word for “wisdom,” long honoured in philosophy and in the Eastern Christian tradition of Holy Wisdom (Hagia Sophia).
Margaret comes from the Greek margaritēs, “pearl.” Borne by saints and by queens across Europe, it has generated an unusually rich crop of nicknames, from Maggie and Meg to Peggy and Greta.
Sophia is more popular than Margaret today: about 12,561 US babies were given the name Sophia in 2025, compared with 2,436 named Margaret.
Sophia means Wisdom (Greek origin), while Margaret means Pearl (Greek origin).
In US records, Sophia first appears in 1880 and Margaret in 1880, so Sophia has the longer recorded history.