Maia vs Sophia
Maia and Sophiacompared 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.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Maia was ranked #164 and Sophia #6 among girls in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Maia was ranked #253 and Sophia #8 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Maia was ranked #197 and Sophia #13 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Maia was ranked #213 and Sophia #14 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2023, Maia was ranked #35 and Sophia #29 among girls in New Zealand.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Maia was ranked #131 and Sophia #88 among girls in Norway.
Maia and Sophia over time
Maia and Sophia appear together in 5 published lists, across 147 years of shared records. Sophia held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Maia 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.
Maia reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Sophia 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 2009, Sophia moved ahead of Maia in Norway · Girls — #155 and #175 the year before became #157 and #137.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Maia and Sophia changed places 7 times in Norway · Girls between 1983 and 2025, ending at #131 and #88.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 25 shared years in New Zealand · Girls, Maia and Sophia averaged 13.1 places apart, ending at #35 and #29.
- Longest-running competitions
Maia and Sophia were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #197 and #13.
List by list
Norway · Girls39 shared years, 1983–2025
Maia held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Sophia in 20.
Highest recorded here: Maia #95 in 2020, Sophia #59 in 2014.
The order changed in 2009: Sophia moved ahead. In 2008 they stood at #155 and #175; by 2009 that had become #157 and #137.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Maia #131, Sophia #88.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Maia held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Sophia in 30.
Highest recorded here: Maia #176 in 2001, Sophia #7 in 2019.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Maia #197, Sophia #13.
Republic of Ireland · Girls27 shared years, 1999–2025
Maia held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Sophia in 27.
Highest recorded here: Maia #118 in 2015, Sophia #13 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Maia #213, Sophia #14.
Northern Ireland · Girls26 shared years, 1999–2024
Maia held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Sophia in 25.
Highest recorded here: Maia #132 in 2003, Sophia #4 in 2011.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Maia #253, Sophia #8.
New Zealand · Girls25 shared years, 1999–2023
Maia held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Sophia in 19.
Highest recorded here: Maia #15 in 2005, Sophia #9 in 2012.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Maia #35, Sophia #29.
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 | Maia | Sophia |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | A genuinely multi-origin name rather than one shared etymology. In Maori, maia (usually written with a macron, maia) is an adjective/noun meaning 'brave, bold, confident' — Te Aka also separately lists Maia as an alternate name for Waiti, a star in the Pleiades cluster. In Greek and Roman mythology, Maia was the eldest of the seven Pleiades, mother of Hermes by Zeus, with a proposed meaning of 'good mother', possibly a nursery-form of the word for 'mother'. It is also used as a form of Maria in Estonian and Basque. | Wisdom. |
| Origin | Genuinely multiple, independent origins — Maori, Greek/Roman mythology, and Estonian/Basque | Greek |
| Pronunciation | /ˈmai̯a/ | /soʊˈfiə/ |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Sophie, Sofia |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #131 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #6 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | high |
What the data shows
- Maia is recorded with a Genuinely multiple, independent origins — Maori, Greek/Roman mythology, and Estonian/Basque origin, while Sophia is recorded with a Greek origin.
- Maia has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Sophia.
- Maia's recorded meaning differs from Sophia's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
- The available evidence gives Maia a "medium" Data Confidence level and Sophia a "high" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Maia
Popularity journey
First recorded1979
First recorded at #584 among girls in Norway in 1979 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1999–2023
Highest recorded position: #15 among girls in New Zealand, in 2005 (recorded 1999–2023).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #197 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Sophia
Popularity journey
First recorded1965
First recorded at #325 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1965 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #4 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2011 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #13 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls