Sophocles as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Sophocles

What is the meaning of the name Sophocles ?

The baby name Sophocles is a Male name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈsɒfəˌkliːz/ (SOF-uh-kleez).

Sophocles is Greek in Origin.

From Ancient Greek Σοφοκλῆς (Sophoklēs), Sophocles combines sophos “wise” and kleos “glory, renown,” yielding the sense “glory of wisdom” or “renowned for wisdom.” The name is inseparable from Sophocles (c. 496–406 BCE), the Athenian tragedian who authored Oedipus Rex and Antigone, which helped fix the name’s learned, classical aura.

Attested across the Classical and Hellenistic Greek world and surviving in later Orthodox usage, Sophocles remains rare as a given name today outside Greek communities, where it appears mostly as a literary or heritage choice. Forms and variants include the Latinized English Sophocles, the scholarly transliteration Sophokles, and the modern Greek Sofoklis/Sophoklis (Σοφοκλής). Related surnames such as Sophocleous/Sofokleous mean “descendant of Sophocles.” Diminutives are not standard. With its storied pedigree and stately cadence, Sophocles suits parents seeking a culturally rich, intellectual name anchored in the ancient Mediterranean.

⚙ Sophocles is an uncommon pick. Across 4 countries, we found 17 recorded uses of it.