Grace vs Sofia
Grace and Sofiacompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Grace was ranked #1 and Sofia #70 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Grace was ranked #4 and Sofia #23 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2025, Grace was ranked #11 and Sofia #13 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Grace was ranked #25 and Sofia #12 among girls in England and Wales.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Grace was ranked #503 and Sofia #13 among girls in Norway.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Grace was ranked #13 and Sofia #22 among girls in Scotland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2023, Grace was ranked #18 and Sofia #61 among girls in New Zealand.
Grace and Sofia over time
Grace and Sofia appear together in 6 published lists, across 160 years of shared records. Grace held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Sofia in 1.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Grace reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Sofia in 1. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2024, Sofia moved ahead of Grace in England and Wales · Girls — #18 and #19 the year before became #25 and #12.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 22 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Grace and Sofia averaged 32.2 places apart, ending at #11 and #13.
- Longest-running competitions
Grace and Sofia were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 41 years, from 1969 to 2025, ending at #503 and #13.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New Zealand · Girls within 2 years — Grace #6 in 2011, Sofia #47 in 2011.
List by list
Norway · Girls41 shared years, 1969–2025
Grace held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Sofia in 39.
Highest recorded here: Grace #354 in 2017, Sofia #10 in 2016.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Grace #503, Sofia #13.
Republic of Ireland · Girls31 shared years, 1982–2025
Grace held the stronger position in 31 of those years, Sofia in 0.
Highest recorded here: Grace #1 in 2020, Sofia #23 in 2025.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Grace #4, Sofia #23.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Grace held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Sofia in 1.
Highest recorded here: Grace #1 in 2006, Sofia #12 in 2024.
The order changed in 2024: Sofia moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #18 and #19; by 2024 that had become #25 and #12.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Grace #25, Sofia #12.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls22 shared years, 2004–2025
Grace held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Sofia in 0.
Highest recorded here: Grace #7 in 2018, Sofia #13 in 2025.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Grace #11, Sofia #13.
Northern Ireland · Girls21 shared years, 2004–2024
Grace held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Sofia in 0.
Highest recorded here: Grace #1 in 2013, Sofia #36 in 2014.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Grace #1, Sofia #70.
New Zealand · Girls16 shared years, 2008–2023
Grace held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Sofia in 0.
Highest recorded here: Grace #6 in 2011, Sofia #47 in 2011.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Grace #18, Sofia #61.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Grace | Sofia |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Grace, favour (the English virtue word, used directly as a name). | A form of Sophia used across many languages, from the Greek word for 'wisdom'. |
| Origin | English (virtue name), from Latin gratia | Greek, via Sophia |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɡɹeɪs/ | /soˈfia/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Gracie | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #4 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #13 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Grace is recorded with a English (virtue name), from Latin gratia origin, while Sofia is recorded with a Greek, via Sophia origin.
- Grace and Sofia both have 2 syllables.
- Grace's recorded meaning differs from Sofia's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
- The available evidence gives Grace a "high" Data Confidence level and Sofia a "medium" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Grace
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #393 among girls in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in England and Wales, in 2006 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #11 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Sofia
Popularity journey
First recorded1968
First recorded at #518 among girls in Norway in 1968 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1968–2025
Highest recorded position: #10 among girls in Norway, in 2016 (recorded 1968–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #13 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls