Isabella vs Sofia
Isabella 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.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Isabella was ranked #11 and Sofia #12 among girls in England and Wales.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2025, Isabella was ranked #17 and Sofia #13 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Isabella was ranked #122 and Sofia #13 among girls in Norway.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2023, Isabella was ranked #15 and Sofia #61 among girls in New Zealand.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Isabella was ranked #50 and Sofia #22 among girls in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Isabella was ranked #48 and Sofia #23 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Isabella was ranked #44 and Sofia #70 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Isabella and Sofia over time
Isabella and Sofia appear together in 6 published lists, across 166 years of shared records. Isabella 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.
Isabella reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Isabella and Sofia changed places 4 times in Northern Ireland · Girls between 2004 and 2024, ending at #44 and #70.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 22 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Isabella and Sofia averaged 34.8 places apart, ending at #17 and #13.
- Longest-running competitions
Isabella and Sofia were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 49 years, from 1968 to 2025, ending at #122 and #13.
List by list
Norway · Girls49 shared years, 1968–2025
Isabella held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Sofia in 47.
Highest recorded here: Isabella #42 in 2010, Sofia #10 in 2016.
The order changed in 1990: Sofia moved ahead. In 1989 they stood at #254 and #262; by 1990 that had become #392 and #222.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Isabella #122, Sofia #13.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Isabella held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Sofia in 0.
Highest recorded here: Isabella #6 in 2016, Sofia #12 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Isabella #11, Sofia #12.
Republic of Ireland · Girls29 shared years, 1997–2025
Isabella held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Sofia in 11.
Highest recorded here: Isabella #41 in 2014, Sofia #23 in 2025.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Isabella #48, Sofia #23.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls22 shared years, 2004–2025
Isabella held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Sofia in 1.
Highest recorded here: Isabella #1 in 2007, Sofia #13 in 2025.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Isabella #17, Sofia #13.
Northern Ireland · Girls21 shared years, 2004–2024
Isabella held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Sofia in 1.
Highest recorded here: Isabella #27 in 2019, Sofia #36 in 2014.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Isabella #44, Sofia #70.
New Zealand · Girls16 shared years, 2008–2023
Isabella held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Sofia in 0.
Highest recorded here: Isabella #4 in 2008, Sofia #47 in 2011.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Isabella #15, 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 | Isabella | Sofia |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | My God is an oath (via Elizabeth). | A form of Sophia used across many languages, from the Greek word for 'wisdom'. |
| Origin | Spanish/Italian, via Elizabeth | Greek, via Sophia |
| Pronunciation | /ˌɪzəˈbɛlə/ | /soˈfia/ |
| Syllables | 4 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Bella, Izzy, Isabel, Isobel | 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 | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #17 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #13 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 76/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Isabella is recorded with a Spanish/Italian, via Elizabeth origin, while Sofia is recorded with a Greek, via Sophia origin.
- Isabella has 4 syllables, compared with 2 for Sofia.
- Isabella'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 Isabella 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
Isabella
Popularity journey
First recorded1960
First recorded at #472 among girls in Norway in 1960 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1993–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2007 (recorded 1993–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #17 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