Sonia is a feminine

given name A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a ...

in many areas of the world including

the West West is a cardinal direction or compass point. West or The West may also refer to: Geography and locations Global context * The Western world * Western culture and Western civilization in general * The Western Bloc, countries allied with NATO ...

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

, and

South Asia South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical Geography (from Greek: , ''geographia''. Combination of Greek words ‘Geo’ (The Earth) and ‘Graphien’ (to describe), literally "earth descr ...

. Sonia and its variant spellings Sonja and Sonya are derived from the Russian

hypocoristic A hypocorism ( or ; from Ancient Greek: (), from (), 'to call by pet names', sometimes also ''hypocoristic'') or pet name is a name used to show affection for a person. It may be a diminutive form of a person's name, such as '' Izzy'' for ...

''Sonya'', an abbreviation of '' Sofiya'' (Greek ''Sophia'' "Wisdom"). The name was popularised in the English-speaking world by characters in the novels ''

Crime and Punishment ''Crime and Punishment'' ( pre-reform Russian: ; post-reform rus, Преступление и наказание, Prestupléniye i nakazániye, prʲɪstʊˈplʲenʲɪje ɪ nəkɐˈzanʲɪje) is a novel by the Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky. ...

'' by

Fyodor Dostoyevsky Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky (, ; rus, Фёдор Михайлович Достоевский, Fyódor Mikháylovich Dostoyévskiy, p=ˈfʲɵdər mʲɪˈxajləvʲɪdʑ dəstɐˈjefskʲɪj, a=ru-Dostoevsky.ogg, links=yes; 11 November 18219 ...

(1866, English translation 1885) and ''

War and Peace ''War and Peace'' (russian: Война и мир, translit=Voyna i mir; pre-reform Russian: ; ) is a literary work by the Russian author Leo Tolstoy that mixes fictional narrative with chapters on history and philosophy. It was first published ...

'' by

Leo Tolstoy Count Lev Nikolayevich TolstoyTolstoy pronounced his first name as , which corresponds to the romanization ''Lyov''. () (; russian: link=no, Лев Николаевич Толстой,In Tolstoy's day, his name was written as in pre-refor ...

(1869, English translation 1886), and later by a 1917 bestselling novel, ''Sonia: Between Two Worlds'', by Stephen McKenna. Scandinavian countries spell the name with the letter ''j'': Sonja, while many English speaking countries spell it with ''i'' or ''y'': Sonia or Sonya. Many other variant spellings exist. Although the most common English pronunciation is , is also possible.

Notable people

Queen Sonja of Norway Sonja (born Sonja Haraldsen on 4 July 1937) is Queen of Norway since 17 January 1991 as the wife of King Harald V. Sonja and the then Crown Prince Harald had dated for nine years prior to their marriage in 1968. They had kept their relatio ...

(born 1937) * Sonia, alias of Omaira Rojas Cabrera (born 1967), FARC-EP guerrilla member * Sonya, cover name of the Soviet spy

Ursula Kuczynski Ursula Kuczynski (15 May 1907 – 7 July 2000), also known as Ruth Werner, Ursula Beurton and Ursula Hamburger, was a German Communist activist who spied for the Soviet Union during the 1930s and 1940s, most famously as the handler of nuclear sc ...

(1907-2000) * Sonia Balassanian (born 1942), Iranian-born Armenian painter, sculptor, and curator * Sonja Bakić (born 1984), Serbian pop/rock singer * Sonja Barjaktarović (born 1986), Montenegrin handball goalkeeper *

Sonia Ben Ammar Sonia Ben Ammar (born 19 February 1999), also credited Sonia Ammar, is a Tunisian-French model, singer, and actress, who is signed with IMG Models. She has appeared on several magazine covers, including ''Vanity Fair'' and ''L'Officiel''. Ben ...

(born 1999), French-Tunisian model * Sonja Berndt, American pharmacologist and cancer epidemiologist * Sônia Braga (born 1950), Brazilian actress * Sonja Christopher, ''Survivor'' contestant * Sonia Couling (born 1974), Thai model, actress and TV personality *

Sonia Darrin Sonia Darrin (born Sonia Paskowitz; June 16, 1924 – July 19, 2020) was an American film actress, best known for her role as Agnes Lowzier in '' The Big Sleep'' (1946). Early years Darrin was born to Louis and Rose Paskowitz, the New York-born ...

(1924–2020), American film actress * Sonia Disa (born 1944), Sri Lankan Sinhala cinema actress *

Sonya Eddy Sonya Eddy (June 17, 1967 – December 19, 2022) was an American actress. Early life and education Eddy was born in Concord, California, on June 17, 1967. She majored in theatre and dance at University of California, Davis and received her B.A. ...

(1958-2022), American actress * Sonia Evans (born 1971), English pop singer *

Sonia Fergina Citra Sonia Fergina Citra (born 27 April 1993) is an Indonesian model and beauty pageant titleholder who won Puteri Indonesia 2018. She represented her country at the Miss Universe 2018 pageant held in at IMPACT Arena, Muang Thong Thani in Nonthabu ...

(born 1993), Indonesian beauty pageant titleholder who won Puteri Indonesia 2018 * Sonja Fransson (born 1949), Swedish politician * Sonia Gandhi (born 1946), Former President of the Indian National Congress *

Sonya Haddad Sonya Haddad (November 9, 1936 – June 15, 2004) was a libretto translator and surtitles, surtitler for the Metropolitan Opera in New York. Life and career Haddad was born in Canton, Ohio, on November 9, 1936, and grew up in Akron. She graduat ...

(1936–2004), American translator and surtitler *

Sonya Hartnett Sonya Louise Hartnett (born 1968) is an Australian author of fiction for adults, young adults, and children. She has been called "the finest Australian writer of her generation". For her career contribution to "children's and young adult liter ...

(born 1968), Australian writer *

Sonja Henie Sonja Henie (8 April 1912 – 12 October 1969) was a Norwegian figure skater and film star. She was a three-time Olympic champion ( 1928, 1932, 1936) in women's singles, a ten-time World champion (1927–1936) and a six-time European champi ...

(1912–1969), Norwegian figure skater and actress *

Sonia Holleyman Sonia Holleyman is a British author and illustrator of several children's books. She is best known for writing and illustrating the first short stories on which the animated television series ''Mona the Vampire'' was based, and for creating this an ...

, creator, author and illustrator of ''Mona the Vampire'' * Sonia E. Howe (born 1871), Russian essayist * Sonia de Ignacio (born 1971), Spanish field hockey player *

Sonya Isaacs Sonya Melissa Isaacs (born July 22, 1974) is an American country, bluegrass gospel and Christian music singer. Isaacs grew up near Morrow, Ohio, and graduated from Little Miami High School in 1992. Her maternal grandparents are Polish Jewish ...

(born 1974), American

Country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while ...

/ Christian singer-songwriter * Sonya Jeyaseelan, Canadian tennis player * Sonia Kacem (born 1985), Swiss visual artist * Sonya Koshkina (born 1985), Ukrainian journalist, editor-in-chief *

Sonja Kovač Sonja Kovač (born 18 June 1984) is a Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = " Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map ...

(born 1984), Croatian actress and model * Sonja Kristina, (born Sonia Christina Shaw), notable for being the vocalist for Curved Air *

Sonija Kwok Sonija Kwok Sin-nei (, born 22 July 1974) is a Hong Kong actress who worked with TVB from 1999 to 2015. Since 2015, she has been managed by GAIA Entertainment. Early life Kwok was born in Hong Kong and is of mixed three quarters Cantonese an ...

(born 1974), actress * Sonja Lang, Canadian linguist who constructed the language

Toki Pona Toki Pona (rendered as ''toki pona'' and often translated as 'the language of good'; ; ) is a philosophical artistic constructed language (philosophical artlang) known for its small vocabulary, simplicity, and ease of acquisition. It was create ...

* Sonia Lo (born 1992), Hong Kong windsurfer *

Sonia Manzano Sonia Manzano (born 1950) is an American actress, screenwriter, author, singer and songwriter. She is best known for playing Maria on ''Sesame Street'' from 1971 to 2015. She received a Lifetime Achievement Daytime Emmy Award in 2016. Her mem ...

, American actress * Sonja McCullen, American judge *

Sonja Morgan Sonja Morgan (née Tremont; born November 25, 1963) is an American television personality, socialite and philanthropist. She is best known for her long-running role as a main cast member on the reality television series '' The Real Housewives of N ...

, Reality TV actress, ''The Real Housewives of New York City'' * Sonia McMahon (1932–2010), Australian socialite, widow of William McMahon *

Sonia Singh Sonia Singh is an Indian television actress. She is known for her role as Dr. Keerti Mehra in Star One Star One was an Indian pay television network based in Mumbai. It was launched on 1 November 2004 and was it owned by Star TV and distr ...

(born 1964), Indian television actress *

Sonia O'Sullivan Sonia O'Sullivan (born 28 November 1969) is an Irish former track and field athlete. She won a gold medal in the 5000 metres at the 1995 World Championships, and a silver medal in the 5000 metres at the 2000 Olympic Games. Her 2000 m wor ...

(born 1969), Irish athlete * Sonia Opoku, Ghanaian footballer * Sonia Peres (1923–2011), wife of Israel's Prime Minister and President Shimon Peres * Sonia Purnell, writer and journalist * Sonia Rutstein of the band Disappear Fear * Sonia Rykiel (1930–2016), French designer *

Sonja Savić Sonja Savić ( sr-Cyrl, Соња Савић; 15 September 1961 – 23 September 2008) was a Serbian actress, famous for her husky voice and series of impressive roles in some of the more memorable 1980s Yugoslav films. Sonja appeared in Miroslav ...

(1961–2008), Serbian actress * Sonya Scarlet (born 1980), singer of Italian band Theatres des Vampires * Sonja Smets, Belgian and Dutch logician *

Sonia Sotomayor Sonia Maria Sotomayor (, ; born June 25, 1954) is an American lawyer and jurist who serves as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. She was nominated by President Barack Obama on May 26, 2009, and has served since ...

(born 1954), Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States *

Sonya Tayeh Sonya Tayeh is a New York City-based choreographer. She has worked nationally and internationally across the worlds of dance and theater. She has earned several accolades for her work, including the Tony award for her choreography work on the Br ...

, American dancer and choreographer * Sonia Theodoridou (born 1958), Greek soprano singer *

Sonja Vasić Sonja Vasić (; sr-cyr, Соња Петровић Васић, born February 18, 1989) is a Serbian former professional women's basketball player. Standing at , she played at the small forward position. She represented the Serbia women's national ...

(née Petrović; born 1989), Serbian basketball player * Sonja Vectomov (born 1979), Czech/Finnish composer/musician * Sonja Vectomov (sculptor), Czech/Finnish sculptor *

Sonya Walger Sonya Walger (born 6 June 1974) is a British actress who also holds American citizenship. She had starring roles in the short-lived sitcoms ''The Mind of the Married Man'' (2001–2002) and ''Coupling'' (2003) before landing her role as Penny W ...

(born 1974), English actress best known as ''Lost''s Penny Widmore * Sonia Zoberblatt (Sandra Zober, 1927–2011), American actress, first wife of Leonard Nimoy

Fictional characters

Red Sonja Red Sonja is a fictional sword and sorcery comic-book superheroine created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Barry Windsor-Smith for Marvel Comics in 1973, partially inspired by Robert E. Howard's character Red Sonya of Rogatino. Marvel Comics p ...

, archetypal fierce and beautiful barbarian * in the '' Baby, Please Kill Me!'' Japanese four-panel manga *Sonya in the ''

Heroes of the Storm ''Heroes of the Storm'' is a crossover multiplayer online battle arena video game developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment. It was released for Microsoft Windows and macOS on June 2, 2015. The game features various characters from Bl ...

'', a video game by Blizzard Entertainment * Sonja in the ''Underworld'' series of vampire films * Sonya Belikova in ''

Vampire Academy ''Vampire Academy'' is a series of six young adult paranormal romance novels by American author Richelle Mead. It tells the story of Rosemarie "Rose" Hathaway, a dhampir girl, who is training to be a guardian of her moroi best friend, Vasilisa " ...

'' novels * Sonia Belmont in ''

Castlevania Legends ''Castlevania Legends'' is the third ''Castlevania'' title released for the original Game Boy. It was released in Japan on November 27, 1997 and in Europe and North America on March 11, 1998. The game was conceived as a prequel to all other game ...

'', from the ''Castlevania'' series *

Sonya Blade Sonya Blade is a character (arts), fictional player character, character in the ''Mortal Kombat'' fighting game franchise by Midway Games and NetherRealm Studios. She debuted in the Mortal Kombat (1992 video game), original 1992 game as the roste ...

in the ''Mortal Kombat'' series of video games * Sonia Cruz, a character in the Netflix series '' Grand Army'' * Sonia Fowler in British soap opera ''EastEnders'' * Sonia Ganguli in '' The Namesake'' by Jhumpa Lahiri * Sonya Herfmann, also known as Chanel #2, in the television series ''Scream Queens'' * Sonya Marmeladova in ''

'' by Fyodor Dostoevsky * Sonia Nevermind in '' Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair'' * Sonia Rey in Argentine telenovela ''

Rebelde Way ''Rebelde Way'' is an Argentine telenovela created and produced by Cris Morena. It was originally broadcast on Azul Televisiónfrom 27 May 2002 to 10 November 2003. The soap opera has been broadcast in many countries, achieving widespread succes ...

'' by Cris Morena *

Sonya Rostova Sofya Alexandrovna "Sonya" (; ) is a character in Leo Tolstoy's 1869 novel ''War and Peace'', and in Sergey Prokofiev's 1955 opera ''War and Peace'' and Dave Malloy's 2012 musical ''Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812'' based on it. She is ...

, character in ''War and Peace'' by Leo Tolstoy and the musical based on it, ''Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812'' * Sonya Ross in ''The Maze Runner'' novel series * Sonia Solandres in ''

The Pink Panther 2 ''The Pink Panther 2'' is a 2009 American comedy-mystery film directed by Harald Zwart. It is the eleventh installment in '' The Pink Panther'' film series and the sequel to the 2006 film '' The Pink Panther'', a reboot of the popular comedy seri ...

'' * Sonya Serebryakova in ''

Uncle Vanya ''Uncle Vanya'' ( rus, Дя́дя Ва́ня, r=Dyádya Ványa, p=ˈdʲædʲə ˈvanʲə) is a play by the Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. It was first published in 1898, and was first produced in 1899 by the Moscow Art Theatre under the dir ...

'' by Anton Chekhov * Sonia Strumm, rock star in the ''Mega Man Star Force'' series of video games * Sonia Virena in television anime '' Symphogear AXZ'' * Sonia, a character from the game ''

Pokémon Sword and Shield and are 2019 role-playing video games developed by Game Freak and published by The Pokémon Company and Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch console. They are the first installments in the eighth generation of the Pokémon (video game series), '' ...

'' * Sonja, a character from the game ''

Advance Wars ''Advance Wars'' is a turn-based strategy video game developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance. It was released in North America on September 10, 2001. The game's release in Japan and Europe was dela ...

'' * Sonia, a character from the 1907 English Play '' The Merry Widow''

Pen name

* Sonia, pen name of the Italian journalist

Ottavia Vitagliano Ottavia Vitagliano (née: Mellone; 1894–1975) was an Italian writer, editor and publisher. The daughter of Igino Mellone and Giulia Piacentini, she was born in Milan. She became manager for her own publishing house and founded and edited various ...

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sonia (Name) Feminine given names Russian feminine given names Romanian feminine given names Italian feminine given names Spanish feminine given names Portuguese feminine given names Slavic feminine given names Polish feminine given names

Notable people

Fictional characters

Pen name

See also

Notes