Not all baby names are created equally. There’s one name that sparkles with global appeal, regardless of the language spoken, the religion followed or the cultural influences of the country.
There’s one name that continues to push up the popularity charts and into the classrooms of (almost) every continent.
The name? Sofia. Or Sophia (in the United States), Sofie (in Norway) and Zsofia (in Hungary), just to name a few of the alternatives.
There’s something about Sofia
The rise of Sofia is quite incredible to track. According to Baby Name Wizard, the name “crosses borders of every kind”.
It is currently #1 in Argentina, Chile and Switzerland, #3 in Finland, #7 in Italy and #9 in Ukraine and Spain. It makes the top 100 list in several countries, from Armenia to Belgium, from Mexico to Estonia. In Australia, Sophie ranks in at #11 and Sofia even makes the list, coming in at #49.
Sofia remains a chart topper in countries on five different continents, representing 22 different languages. It is a favourite among Baltic, Germanic, Romance, Slavic, Turkic and Uralic language groups. Plus, Sofia is popular in countries of all different religions, including “Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Sunni Muslim, Eastern Orthodox, Presbyterian, and unaffiliated/none”.
The Sofia factor
Why the love for Sofia? It’s a beautiful name, no doubt – it’s classic, regal and elegant all in one. But what brought this attraction on? Sofia doesn’t seem to come with any religious connotations – it would appear that mums and dads simply like it. Is it the Sophia Loren factor? Or perhaps we can look to Sophie the Giraffe for the spike?
Baby Name Wizard is quick to point out that they haven’t had a chance to analyse EVERY single country in the world, with countries with big populations not included (such as China and India).
What about the boys?
Before Sofia spiked, the name Mary/Maria was one of the world’s most popular choices for little gals across the lands. And for the boys? Mohammed has remained the most popular global boys’ name for several years now. But Oliver continues to dominate in many Western countries, including Australia.
Looking for more baby name trends? Check out the full list of 2017’s most popular baby names.
