Sofia has taken over the world -- and not just one Sofia. Lots of them.
A new analysis of baby name statistics from naming expert Laura Wattenberg finds that Sofia (along with its variants) is the top baby name in nine countries -- nations as far-flung as Mexico, Italy and Russia. Meanwhile, the name is the number two or three choice for parents in a whopping 20 countries, including the United States, where "Sophia" is currently the third-most-popular name for girls.
In fact, Sophia/Sofia and other local spellings are among the top 25 baby names in two-thirds of the countries (mostly in Europe and the Americas) that report baby name statistics, Wattenberg found.
Sofia's popularity transcends borders, she discovered.
"It just blew me away that so many different languages and cultures would arrive at the same sound at the same time," Wattenberg told Live Science. "I guess that really says something about the way culture is transmitted today."
Sofia's popularity may be even more widespread than Wattenberg's analysis suggests. Many countries don't keep baby-naming stats, including large nations like Brazil. There's no single celebrity or fictional character who can account for the name's runaway popularity.
Sofia does have some innate factors that make it a good candidate for international popularity, Wattenberg said. It means "wisdom." It's pronounceable in a variety of tongues, for one thing. But Sofia's inherent charms failed to place it on the radar a generation ago. Two decades in the past, Sofia/Sophia and its variants weren't top names anywhere, Wattenberg said.
"I can point to qualities that would seem to make this name desirable," she said. "The hard part is saying why it wasn't just as desirable a generation ago."
Certainly, a more individualistic naming style has swept the world. The old cross-cultural names of Mary, John and their local variations (e.g. Maria and Ivan) were religiously based, as is, indeed, the reigning most-popular boy's name in the world today, Mohamed. Now, Wattenberg said, parents choose names based on style. And though parents are leaning toward fresh, unique-sounding names for their little ones, she said, tastes are remarkably trend-driven. Once people throw off the limitations of religious and family tradition, they tend to gravitate toward similar sounds, suggesting perhaps that everyone's always shared a taste for trendy names, Wattenberg said.
"It's actually a little unnerving to discover that the name that happens to sound nice to you also sounds nice to the entire Western world," Wattenberg said.
With so many Sofias and Sophias running around so many countries, will the name start to feel boring? It's possible that Sofia could soon peak, Wattenberg said.
"Just the fact of tracking what the top 100 baby names are makes peoplecompetitive," she said. "Everyone is trying to avoid the number-one name, because they think that's too ordinary, so names rise and fall faster than they used to."
Original article on Live Science.
Literary Baby Names
Bogan(01 of14)
Open Image ModalLouise Bogan was the fourth Poet Laureate of the United States and the first woman to be appointed to that position, appreciated for her subtle intellectual style. Bogan could be a perfectly acceptable companion to boy named Brogan, Logan and Hogan--though Bogan does have some negative connotations in Australian slang. (credit:Amazon.com)
Byron(02 of14)
Open Image ModalGeorge Gordon Byron, known simply as Lord Byron, was a (if not the) leading Romantic poet of the late eighteenth to early nineteenth century, with the term 'byronic' coming to connote romanticism, melancholy and melodrama. The name Byron still retains something of the poet's dramatic, windswept image. (credit:Alamy)
Chaucer(03 of14)
Open Image ModalGeoffrey Chaucer is regarded as the greatest literary figure of medieval England, the father of all the literature that followed. An unusual English occupational name -- it means "maker of leggings"-- Chaucer has a particularly pleasing sound and is beginning to stir up some interest among knowledgeable parents. (credit:Alamy)
Cullen(04 of14)
Open Image ModalCountee Cullen was one of the key poetic voice of the Harlem Renaissance. Although his first name is semi-unique, the surname Cullen is one of the hot Irish boys' names, propelled by its appearance as the family name of key character Edward in the "Twilight" series of books and movies. Cullen now ranks at an all-time high of Number 413. (credit:Alamy)
Dove(05 of14)
Open Image ModalRita Dove is a major contemporary American poet, winner of a Pulitzer Prize and Poet Laureate of the United States from 1993 to 1995. The name Dove is one of several soft and gentle bird names, including Wren and Lark, that have become a fledgling category--as opposed to more aggressive avian choices like Hawk and Falcon. (credit:AP)
John Dryden(06 of14)
Open Image ModalJohn Dryden was a highly influential seventeenth century English poet in what came to be called "The Age of Dryden." Dryden is a name that could blend well with all the Ryders and Brydens in the playground, with its poetic cred adding a subtle support. (credit:Alamy)
Frost(07 of14)
Open Image ModalRobert Frost is the acclaimed poet who famously read his work at the 1961 Inauguration of President Kennedy. Frost, Snow, Winter, January... these are all among the coolest current choices, and the literary tie to the esteemed poet makes Frost all the more appealing. (credit:Alamy)
Giovanni(08 of14)
Open Image ModalNikki Giovanni (born Yolande Cornelia) is a contemporary African-American poet and civil rights activist whose work reflects strong racial pride. Giovanni, the ubiquitous Italian version of John, now ranks at an all-time high of Number 114 in the US, indicating that its one of the Latin names catching on among Anglos, much like Matteo and Gianna. (credit:Amazon.com)
Hugo(09 of14)
Open Image ModalVictor Hugo, the author of "Les Miserables" and "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," first found fame as a poet. Hugo is a rising o-ending name for boys here, and also in Spain and France, where it's in the Top 10. Hugo was the name chosen by Ron and Hermione for their "Harry Potter" franchise son, and it is the hero and title of the latest Martin Scorsese 3-D film. (credit:Alamy)
Kipling(10 of14)
Open Image ModalRudyard Kipling was a memorable poet (Gunga Din, Recessional), as well as the author of "The Jungle Book" and "Kim." When actress Kim Raver (the Kim connection?) named her son Leo Kipling in 2007, it put this evocative yet quirky name on the table. (credit:Amazon.com)
Lorca(11 of14)
Open Image ModalFederico Garcia Lorca was an early twentieth century poet and playwright, a tragic casualty of the Spanish civil war. He was a favorite of fellow poet Leonard Cohen, who named his now grown daughter Lorca in his honor, thereby introducing it as a lovely new girls' name possibility. (credit:Alamy)
Marlowe(12 of14)
Open Image ModalChristopher Marlowe was a pre-Shakespeare poet and playwright at the forefront of the sixteenth century drama renaissance. And of the three possible spellings of the name -- Marlo, Marlow, Marlowe -- Marlowe seems to be the current winner, and used primarily for girls; Jason Schwartzman named his baby girl Marlowe Rivers. It's a perfect smoosh of Marley and Harlow. (credit:Amazon.com)
Paz(13 of14)
Open Image ModalOctavio Paz was a leading Mexican poet and polemicist, who has been called "Latin America's most scintillating poet." Meaning peace, Paz is a Spanish unisex favorite, and is currently represented on the international screen by two attractive actresses: Paz Vega and Paz de la Huerta. (credit:Amazon.com)
Tennyson(14 of14)
Open Image ModalAlfred Lord Tennyson was one of the most popular English poets of all time, the Poet Laureate throughout most of Queen Victoria's reign. Russell Crowe made the bold choice of Tennyson as the name of his first son, and you have only to hear the brawny actor speak tenderly of "Tenny" to see the great charm of the name. (credit:Alamy)