Sonia (name)

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Sonia
Pronunciation/ˈsɒniə/[1] SON-ee-ə
GenderFeminine
Language(s)Russian
Origin
MeaningWisdom
Region of originRussia
Other names
Related namesSophia

Sonia is a feminine given name in many areas of the world including the West, Russia, Iran, and South Asia. Sonia and its variant spellings Sonja and Sonya are derived from the Russian hypocoristic Sonya, an abbreviation of Sofiya (Greek Sophia "Wisdom")[2]

The name was popularised in the English-speaking world by characters in the novels Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky (1866, English translation 1885) and War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy (1869, English translation 1886), and later by a 1917 bestselling novel, Sonia: Between Two Worlds, by Stephen McKenna.[2]

Sonya and its variations are occasionally found as surnames in England and the American eastern seaboard.

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 /ˈsɒniə/, /ˈsoʊniə/ is also possible.[1]

As a last name[]

Sonya is an uncommon surname of English origin. Spelling variations include Sonning, Sonnin, Sonin, Soning, Sunning, Sunin, Souning, Sounin, Sonninges, Somin and Somings. The surname Sonya was first located in Berkshire where they were anciently seated as Lords of the Manor. Some of the first American settlers named Sonya or some of its variants migrated in the mid-17th century to the eastern seaboard. Migrants eventually settled in Newfoundland, Maine, Virginia, The Carolinas and the islands.[3]

Notable people[]

Fictional characters[]

  • Red Sonja, archetypal fierce and beautiful barbarian
  • Sonya (ソーニャ, Sōnya) in the Baby, Please Kill Me! Japanese four-panel manga
  • Sonya in the Heroes of the Storm, a video game by Blizzard Entertainment
  • Sonja in the Underworld series of vampire films
  • Sonya Belikova in Vampire Academy novels
  • Sonia Belmont in Castlevania Legends, from the Castlevania series
  • Sonya Blade 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 Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky
  • Sonia Nevermind in Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair
  • Sonia Rey in Argentine telenovela Rebelde Way by Cris Morena
  • Sonya Rostova, 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
  • Sonya Serebryakova in Uncle Vanya 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
  • Sonja, a character from the game Advance Wars
  • Sonia, a character from the 1907 English Play The Merry Widow

See also[]

  • All pages with titles beginning with Sonia

Notes[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b Jones, Daniel; Gimson, Alfred C. (1977) [1917]. Everyman's English Pronunciation Dictionary. Everyman's Reference Library (14 ed.). London: J. M. Dent & Sons. ISBN 0-460-03029-9.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b Martin-Doyle, Katie (1999). The Treasury of Baby Names. Cambridge: Worth Press. p. 240. ISBN 978-1-903025-11-6.
  3. ^ "Sonya Family Crest, Coat of Arms and Name History". HouseOfNames.com. Swyrich Corporation. Retrieved 31 December 2015.
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