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Sonja as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Sonja

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The baby name Sonja is a Girl name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced SON-yah.

Sonja is German, Greek, Russian, Scandinavian in Origin.

Gender: Girl
Syllables: 2
Origin: German, Greek, Russian, Scandinavian
Pronunciation: SON-yah

What is the meaning of the name Sonja ?

The baby name Sonja is a girl name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced SON-yah.

Sonja is German, Greek, Russian, Scandinavian in Origin.

Sonja is a German and Scandinavian spelling of Sonia/Sonya, originally a Russian pet form of Sofya, the East Slavic form of Greek Sophia. The Greek base is sophía, a feminine abstract noun from sophós, wise or skilled; as a name it was established in early Christian Greek and Latin usage as Sophia. Its literal sense is wisdom.

The Sonja spelling reflects German and Nordic orthography, where j represents the y sound, and it became familiar in Norway, Sweden, Germany, and parts of the Balkans. Russian Соня is more often rendered Sonya in English, while Sonia is common in Romance languages and in the United States. Public bearers such as Norwegian skater Sonja Henie and Queen Sonja of Norway helped give the spelling international visibility; U.S. records show a mid-20th-century peak, followed by lower but continuing use.

Sonja has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Sonja

Sonja Henie Actor · Born 1912 · Norway Sonja Henie was a Norwegian figure skater and actress, most famous for winning three Olympic gold medals in women's singles figure skating from 1928 to 1936. She also starred in several Hollywood films, including 'One in a Million' and 'Sun Valley Serenade'. Her transition from sports to film made her a popular figure in both arenas during her time. Sonja Ziemann Actor · Born 1926 · Germany Sonja Ziemann was a German actress best known for her role in the 1950s film 'The Black Forest Girl'. She gained popularity through her performances in German cinema during the post-war era, including films like 'The Heath Is Green'. Sonja Sohn Actor · Born 1964 · United States Sonja Sohn is an American actress best known for her role as Detective Kima Greggs on the critically acclaimed television series The Wire. She has also appeared in films like Slam and Shaft. Beyond acting, she has been involved in community activism and founded the organization ReWired for Change.
Sonja Gerhardt Actor · Born 1989 · Germany Sonja Gerhardt is a German actress best known for her role in the popular TV series 'Deutschland 83', where she played the character of Annett Schneider. She has also appeared in films like 'The Girl with Nine Wigs' and 'Dessau Dancers'. Sonja Wigert Actor · Born 1913 · Norway Sonja Wigert was a Norwegian actress best known for her role in the film 'Tante Pose'. She gained fame during the 1930s and 1940s, becoming one of Scandinavia's most popular film stars. In addition to her acting career, she worked as a spy during World War II, providing intelligence to the Swedish government. Sonja Lumme Actor · Born 1961 · Finland Sonja Lumme is a Finnish singer best known for representing Finland at the Eurovision Song Contest 1985 with the song Eläköön elämä. Born on 6 October 1961 in Kristinestad, she finished ninth in the competition with 58 points.

Sonja – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Girls 2012 #1 — 970
Germany Girls 2025 #1 — 411
Austria Girls 0 #19 4,260 1,885
NA 0 #24 10 2,537
SI Girls 0 #28 257 2,769
Norway Girls 2025 #29 162 453
RS Girls 0 #29 272 1,651
EE 0 #36 2 1,051
Germany Girls 0 #40 9,818 4,949
Iceland Girls 0 #41 23 132
MT 0 #43 1 1,767
LU Girls 0 #46 190 4,850
Austria 0 #47 313 850
RS 0 #51 38 923
Austria Girls 1994 #52 159 59
LU 0 #55 12 2,830
SI 0 #57 23 1,612
CY 0 #60 1 1,632
AL 0 #70 7 2,372
Finland Girls 0 #71 1,778 1,368
HR Girls 0 #76 643 3,687
NL Girls 0 #78 4,462 5,933
Finland Girls 2026 #80 8,148 3,895
Germany 0 #83 756 2,542
JM 0 #91 3 3,714
Finland 0 #93 440 830
KZ 0 #94 1 1,452
TW 0 #103 1 4,523
HR 0 #104 87 2,081
BN Girls 0 #114 1 5,459
HU 0 #115 1 1,675
DK Girls 0 #118 308 7,429
NA Girls 0 #120 111 7,146
KW 0 #121 1 5,216
OM 0 #121 1 6,215
CY Girls 0 #123 3 3,755
Sweden Girls 2022 #124 58 1,568
Switzerland Girls 2024 #130 6 1,786
EE Girls 0 #136 7 1,888
PA 0 #138 1 3,797
AL Girls 0 #144 83 4,141
BW Girls 0 #148 4 4,216
MT Girls 0 #148 6 3,773
RS Boys 0 #154 1 2,277
CR 0 #159 7 5,526
ZA 0 #160 319 14,421
DK 0 #162 42 5,198
PR Girls 0 #166 2 3,171
NL 0 #167 267 2,481
CZ 0 #175 11 3,154
AE 0 #180 8 10,220
ZA Girls 0 #181 3,246 25,928
UY 0 #182 1 2,477
RU 0 #191 4 3,641
LT Girls 0 #200 1 1,904
HU Girls 0 #203 21 3,308
SI Boys 0 #205 7 3,402
PL 0 #211 2 2,600
LU Boys 0 #220 1 4,970
GR Girls 0 #222 21 6,293
IR 0 #223 9 4,221
PS 0 #226 1 5,692
BG Girls 0 #228 4 3,559
BD 0 #240 2 5,992
JM Girls 0 #246 14 7,507
PT 0 #250 1 4,161
NA Boys 0 #253 1 6,830
HR Boys 0 #258 2 3,997
MO Girls 0 #263 1 7,056
GR Boys 0 #273 1 6,912
Canada Girls 2022 #275 6 2,867
IL 0 #278 5 6,291
SG 0 #281 2 11,010
TW Girls 0 #285 5 8,139
AL Boys 0 #301 3 5,122
CZ Girls 0 #307 35 5,378
DK Boys 0 #331 2 7,401
KZ Girls 0 #331 2 5,862
PL Girls 0 #335 20 5,096
GH Girls 0 #337 1 6,973
QA Girls 0 #337 7 15,378
HK 0 #356 2 8,483
CN Girls 0 #357 3 8,829
BR 0 #359 2 5,969
MU Girls 0 #360 3 8,539
France Girls 2004 #393 3 2,919
PH Boys 0 #408 1 11,440
EG 0 #410 3 6,387
OM Girls 0 #420 5 15,987
PH Girls 0 #426 4 13,098
CL 0 #430 5 6,867
Austria Boys 0 #432 11 2,180
PT Girls 0 #439 13 7,952
Spain 0 #440 13 2,326
MX 0 #444 2 8,339
RU Girls 0 #462 37 11,913
IR Girls 0 #484 47 8,334
GT Boys 0 #499 1 7,625
CR Girls 0 #505 28 11,342
CO 0 #508 3 7,768
PS Girls 0 #514 10 10,981
PA Girls 0 #515 4 9,861
IQ Girls 0 #525 1 11,303
UY Girls 0 #532 5 6,731
AE Girls 0 #533 21 20,968
IT Girls 0 #539 1,617 9,415
GT Girls 0 #540 2 7,500
HK Boys 0 #557 1 12,905
KW Girls 0 #557 5 19,177
PS Boys 0 #561 1 10,655
CM Boys 0 #575 1 12,054
SG Girls 0 #576 11 18,916
IT 0 #601 114 4,183
IL Girls 0 #604 14 11,648
AR Girls 0 #628 3 8,289
HK Girls 0 #645 6 16,104
BO Girls 0 #651 1 9,488
IN Girls 0 #653 2 13,121
LB 0 #688 3 13,263
KW Boys 0 #806 1 18,755
TN 0 #811 19 13,765
CL Girls 0 #823 29 14,098
United States Girls 2024 #861 56 8,487
Spain Girls 0 #905 79 5,561
OM Boys 0 #918 1 17,948
EG Boys 0 #925 1 15,035
BR Girls 0 #926 16 12,708
Germany Boys 0 #935 18 5,697
NL Boys 0 #941 11 5,873
EG Girls 0 #944 16 14,742
MY Girls 0 #981 14 24,821
PE Girls 0 #1,003 8 14,861
SA Girls 0 #1,011 4 25,931
IN Boys 0 #1,038 2 16,750
CO Girls 0 #1,068 11 16,140
ZA Boys 0 #1,137 42 25,619
AE Boys 0 #1,140 4 22,615
MA 0 #1,197 3 20,986
TR 0 #1,200 12 19,440
DZ 0 #1,234 1 20,130
MX Girls 0 #1,263 5 17,781
SA Boys 0 #1,685 7 28,008

Sonja is popular in 75 countries — most recent births per country:

Norway
France
Canada
Switzerland
Sweden

Did we miss something about this name? Let us know!

People also ask about Sonja

Sonja is a unisex name, given to both boys and girls.
Sonja is a 2 syllable name, pronounced SON-yah.
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Sophia, Sofia, Sofya, Sofija, Sophie and Sofie.
Yes, very popular — Sonja ranked #1 in Ireland in 2012, and appears in official birth registries across 11 countries.
Sonja ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 2012).
Yes — 7 notable people named Sonja are in our database, including Sonja Henie (Actor), Sonja Ziemann (Actor), Sonja Sohn (Actor).