Maria vs Sophie
Maria and Sophiecompared 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.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Maria was ranked #74 and Sophie #6 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2016, Maria was ranked #78 and Sophie #9 among girls in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Maria was ranked #97 and Sophie #14 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Maria was ranked #120 and Sophie #17 among girls in Scotland.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 1985, Maria was ranked #95 and Sophie #62 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Maria was ranked #62 and Sophie #178 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Maria was ranked #88 and Sophie #63 among girls in England and Wales.
Maria and Sophie over time
Maria and Sophie appear together in 5 published lists, across 196 years of shared records. Sophie held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Maria 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.
Maria reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Sophie 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 1995, Sophie moved ahead of Maria in Republic of Ireland · Girls — #51 and #58 the year before became #53 and #40.
- Longest-running competitions
Maria and Sophie were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #88 and #63.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Maria #49 in 2009, Sophie #1 in 2010.
List by list
Norway · Girls56 shared years, 1960–2025
Maria held the stronger position in 56 of those years, Sophie in 0.
Highest recorded here: Maria #3 in 1982, Sophie #106 in 2016.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Maria #62, Sophie #178.
Republic of Ireland · Girls56 shared years, 1967–2025
Maria held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Sophie in 31.
Highest recorded here: Maria #23 in 1967, Sophie #1 in 2009.
The order changed in 1995: Sophie moved ahead. In 1994 they stood at #51 and #58; by 1995 that had become #53 and #40.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Maria #74, Sophie #6.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Maria held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Sophie in 30.
Highest recorded here: Maria #66 in 2018, Sophie #1 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Maria #88, Sophie #63.
Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024
Maria held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Sophie in 28.
Highest recorded here: Maria #49 in 2009, Sophie #1 in 2010.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Maria #97, Sophie #14.
New Zealand · Girls26 shared years, 1984–2016
Maria held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Sophie in 26.
Highest recorded here: Maria #59 in 1985, Sophie #1 in 2008.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2016: Maria #78, Sophie #9.
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 | Maria | Sophie |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | The Latin form of Greek Maria, from Hebrew Miryam (see Mary). | The French form of Sophia, from Ancient Greek 'sophia' meaning 'wisdom'. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew, via Latin transmission | Greek, via French transmission |
| Pronunciation | /mɑ.ˈriː.ɑ/ | /sɔ.fi/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | 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 | Norway · Girls #62 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #6 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Maria is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew, via Latin transmission origin, while Sophie is recorded with a Greek, via French transmission origin.
- Maria and Sophie both have 2 syllables.
- Maria's recorded meaning differs from Sophie's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
Maria
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #126 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #3 among girls in Norway, in 1982 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #88 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Sophie
Popularity journey
First recorded1960
First recorded at #492 among girls in Norway in 1960 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in England and Wales, in 1996 (recorded 1996–2025).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #63 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls