Selma vs Sonja
Selma and Sonjacompared 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 2025, Selma was ranked #11 and Sonja #35 among girls in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2012, Selma was ranked #907 and Sonja #907 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2020, Selma was ranked #2163 and Sonja #3899 among girls in England and Wales.
Selma and Sonja over time
Selma and Sonja appear together in 2 published lists, across 87 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
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.
- Longest-running competitions
Selma and Sonja were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 67 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #11 and #35.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Norway · Girls within 2 years — Selma #5 in 2024, Sonja #35 in 2025.
List by list
Norway · Girls67 shared years, 1945–2025
Selma held the stronger position in 33 of those years, Sonja in 34.
Highest recorded here: Selma #5 in 2024, Sonja #35 in 2025.
The order changed in 1993: Selma moved ahead. In 1992 they stood at #281 and #248; by 1993 that had become #313 and #346.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Selma #11, Sonja #35.
England and Wales · Girls20 shared years, 1996–2020
Selma held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Sonja in 2.
Highest recorded here: Selma #1082 in 2005, Sonja #1970 in 1999.
The order changed in 2000: Selma moved ahead. In 1999 they stood at #2444 and #1970; by 2000 that had become #1389 and #3912.
Most recent shared year, 2020: Selma #2163, Sonja #3899.
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 | Selma | Sonja |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, IE, NO | GB-ENW, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #11 (2025) | Norway · Girls #35 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Selma and Sonja both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Selma
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #352 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: #5 among girls in Norway, in 2024 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #11 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls
Sonja
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #44 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: #35 among girls in Norway, in 2025 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #35 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls