Magdalena vs Sophia
How Magdalena and Sophia compare across 146 years of US Social Security Administration baby-name records — popularity history, peak years, current rank, and which name overtook which.
Magdalena
Female · Spanish
Meaning: Woman From Magdala. The Biblical Mary Magdalene Came From Magdala Area Near The Sea Of Galilee.
US Popularity History — Side-by-Side
Annual US births named Magdalena (girls) vs Sophia (girls), from US Social Security Administration national records.
Source: US Social Security Administration. Names appearing fewer than 5 times per year are suppressed by SSA.
Quick Stats
| Metric | Magdalena | Sophia |
|---|---|---|
| Peak year (most US births) | 2007 — 325 girls | 2012 — 22,335 girls |
| Peak rank | #864 | #1 |
| Most recent rank (2025) | #850 (320 births) | #5 (12,561 births) |
| Total US births since 1880 | 5,437 | 388,433 |
| Last 10 years (2016–2025) | 2,322 | 133,616 |
Peak comparison takeaway
At its all-time peak, Sophia reached 22,335 US births in 2012 — 22,010 more than Magdalena's peak count.
Strongest States — Last 10 Years
States where each name ranked highest, from SSA's state-level dataset. Lower average rank = name appears closer to the top of that state's girls-name list.
Magdalena — top 5 states
| # | State | Avg rank | Births |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iowa | #542 | 19 |
| 2 | Colorado | #620 | 58 |
| 3 | Kansas | #634 | 26 |
| 4 | Washington | #677 | 62 |
| 5 | Illinois | #680 | 146 |
Sophia — top 5 states
| # | State | Avg rank | Births |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Mexico | #3 | 769 |
| 2 | New York | #3 | 8,010 |
| 3 | Illinois | #3 | 4,861 |
| 4 | Arizona | #4 | 3,118 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | #4 | 2,790 |
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Data & methodology
Source: US Social Security Administration national baby names dataset 1880–2025 (CC0 public domain). Names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a given year are suppressed by SSA. State-level coverage runs 1910–2025. Crossover detection compares annual birth counts (not ranks) for each year both names appear. Methodology: see full notes. More comparisons →