Less-Popular Alternatives to Sophia

Sophia has been a top 100 name since 1997 and a top 10 name since 2006. With alternative spelling Sofia also being popular, Sophia feels overused. Sophia is a classic name that will not date, yet it's too common for several people. Factors contributing to Sophia's success include:

• Mid-"ph" sound.
• Long "o" sound at the beginning.
• Greek heritage.
• Meaning of "wisdom", which is a wonderful meaning.
• The "EE-a" ending sound, which is also found in Mia, Camila, and Aaliyah.
• Feminine but not girly quality.
• Timeless classic style.

Here are ten names that share some of the qualities listed above.

Cecilia (#153)-Sophia is a classic, but was never common here until the turn of this century. Cecilia also qualifies as a classic without being common back in the day. Cecilia feels frills-free feminine and ends in a sound similar to that of Sophia. Cecilia is more popular than ever before, yet it may or may not be headed towards the top 100 in the near future. 

Daphne (#431)-Daphne has the same Greek heritage as Sophia. It has a mid-"ph" sound as well and contains a long "e" sound towards its ending. Daphne is not only less common, but it also shows no signs of hitting the top 100 anytime soon. That makes Daphne a sweet-spot name.

Johanna (#594)-Johanna starts with a long "o" sound and ends in "a", like Sophia. Johanna is feminine, but not girly. It also came from the Greek Ioanna, giving it some Greek heritage. Johanna always ranked in the top 1000 but was never common. This makes Johanna not just uncommon but also timeless. 

Louisa (#682)-Louisa has a similar ending and structure to Sophia. Along with ending in the "EE-za" sound at the end, Louisa is three syllables and starts with a long "u". Louisa is not girly, either. Louisa is on the rise, but is far away from the top 100. Plus, Louisa is to the French Louise as Sophia is to Sophie.

Minerva (unranked)-Minerva is Roman, which goes hand-in-hand with Sophia's Greek heritage. Minerva also means "intellect" to match Sophia's meaning of "wisdom". Minerva feels the right amount of feminine as well. Minerva sounds old-fashioned despite never being common. 

Ophelia (#387)-Ophelia has risen fast over the last few years, but dropped in use last year. Ophelia has the same "ohph" sound as Sophia. It also has a similar ending sound. This tragic name feels feminine without being girly, too. Plus, as Sophia means "wisdom", Ophelia means "help". Their meanings go hand-in-hand.

Persephone (#922)-Persephone has a Greek heritage and the mid-"ph" sound of Sophia. In fact, Persephone comes from a Greek goddess. Persephone also feels strongly feminine. Girls with the name can easily become cross-country runners or accountants, or even journalists. 

Philomena (unranked)-Philomena has the same "ph" sound as Sophia as well as a similar-sounding ending. Philomena is a Greek name meaning "strong friend". That brings it closer to Sophia. Philomena ranked a while back, but it was never common. 

Seraphina (unranked)-This name is bound to hit the top 1000 this coming year. Seraphina has a similar ending sound to Sophia. It has the same mid-"ph" sound, too, and feels feminine without being girly. Seraphina has quite the controversial meaning of "fiery ones", but so does trending Ember. 

Theresa (unranked)-Theresa is no longer in the charts, but remains a timeless choice. Theresa also ends in a sound similar to that of Sophia. As Sophia has a Spanish spelling of Sofia, Theresa can be respelled Teresa, which still ranks in the top 100. 

What is your favorite alternative to Sophia? What alternative would you add?