Ma vs Sofia
Ma 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.
Norway · Girls
In 2005, Ma was ranked #609 and Sofia #71 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2009, Ma was ranked #5556 and Sofia #74 among girls in England and Wales.
Ma and Sofia over time
Ma and Sofia appear together in 1 published list, across 29 years of shared records. Sofia held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Ma 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.
Ma reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Sofia in none. 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
Ma and Sofia changed places 7 times in Norway · Girls between 1968 and 2005, ending at #609 and #71.
- Mirrored each other
Over 29 shared years in Norway · Girls, Sofia rose about as far as Ma fell — from #377 and #518 in 1968 to #609 and #71 in 2005.
List by list
Norway · Girls29 shared years, 1968–2005
Ma held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Sofia in 24.
Highest recorded here: Ma #252 in 1985, Sofia #71 in 2005.
The order changed in 1986: Sofia moved ahead. In 1985 they stood at #252 and #361; by 1986 that had become #297 and #285.
Most recent shared year, 2005: Ma #609, Sofia #71.
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 | Ma | 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 | 1 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #5556 (2009) | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #13 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Sofia has a recorded origin (Greek, via Sophia); Ma does not have one recorded yet.
- Ma has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Sofia.
- A meaning is recorded for Sofia; Ma doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, NO.
How each name got here
Ma
Popularity journey
First recorded1962
First recorded at #462 among girls in Norway in 1962 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1962–2005
Highest recorded position: #252 among girls in Norway, in 1985 (recorded 1962–2005).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2005
Most recently recorded at #609 among girls in Norway, in 2005.
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