Leila vs Sofia
Leila 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, Leila was ranked #249 and Sofia #12 among girls in England and Wales.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Leila was ranked #409 and Sofia #13 among girls in Norway.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Leila was ranked #275 and Sofia #22 among girls in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Leila was ranked #325 and Sofia #23 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2023, Leila was ranked #302 and Sofia #48 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Leila and Sofia over time
Leila and Sofia appear together in 4 published lists, across 119 years of shared records. Sofia held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Leila in 0.
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.
Leila reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 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
Leila and Sofia changed places 7 times in Norway · Girls between 1968 and 2025, ending at #409 and #13.
- Longest-running competitions
Leila and Sofia were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 48 years, from 1968 to 2025, ending at #409 and #13.
List by list
Norway · Girls48 shared years, 1968–2025
Leila held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Sofia in 39.
Highest recorded here: Leila #204 in 1977, Sofia #12 in 2024.
The order changed in 1983: Sofia moved ahead. In 1982 they stood at #297 and #405; by 1983 that had become #600 and #294.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Leila #409, Sofia #13.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Leila held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Sofia in 29.
Highest recorded here: Leila #132 in 2012, Sofia #12 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Leila #249, Sofia #12.
Republic of Ireland · Girls27 shared years, 1997–2025
Leila held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Sofia in 27.
Highest recorded here: Leila #168 in 2011, Sofia #23 in 2025.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Leila #325, Sofia #23.
Northern Ireland · Girls15 shared years, 2007–2023
Leila held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Sofia in 15.
Highest recorded here: Leila #218 in 2018, Sofia #36 in 2014.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Leila #302, Sofia #48.
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 | Leila | Sofia |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | A form of Sophia used across many languages, from the Greek word for 'wisdom'. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Greek, via Sophia |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /soˈfia/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #325 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #13 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Sofia has a recorded origin (Greek, via Sophia); Leila does not have one recorded yet.
- Leila and Sofia both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Sofia; Leila doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Leila
Popularity journey
First recorded1957
First recorded at #383 among girls in Norway in 1957 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #132 among girls in England and Wales, in 2012 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #409 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · 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