Sonia is a feminine given name used in many languages, including English, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, and Spanish. It is a variant of Sonya, which itself is a Russian diminutive of Sophia.Etymology and HistoryUltimately derived from the Greek name Sophia, meaning "wisdom", Sonia entered the English-speaking world primarily through literary works. The name Sophia was borne by an early, probably mythical, saint who suffered the martyrdom of her three daughters under Emperor Hadrian. Legends about her arose from a medieval misunderstanding of Hagia Sophia (Holy Wisdom), a famous basilica in Constantinople.In the 19th century, characters named Sonia appear in Fyodor Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment (1866) and Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace (1869, English translation 1886). The later novel Sonia: Between Two Worlds (1917) by Stephen McKenna further propelled the name's popularity in the English-speaking world.Notable BearersNotable people named Sonia include Queen Sonja of Norway (born 1937) and Sonia, the alias of Colombian guerrilla Omaira Rojas Cabrera (born 1967). The name is also common in South Asia, Iran, and the West, with variant spellings including Sonja and Sonya.Cultural SignificanceIn Scandinavia, the form Sonja (with j) is prevalent, while English-speaking countries favor Sonia or Sonya. Pronunciation varies, but common English pronunciations include /ˈsoʊnjə/ and /ˈsoʊniə/.Related NamesIn other languages, related forms include Sofia (Ukrainian), Sofi (Swedish), Sofiya (Ukrainian), and Sònia (Catalan).Meaning: Variant of Sonya, ultimately from Greek Sophia (wisdom)Origin: Russian diminutive of SophiaType: Feminine given nameUsage regions: English, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, and many others