Fun Facts About the Name Sonora
- More than 1 thousand babies named Sonora: U.S. records list 1,442 babies given the name Sonora from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Sonora Mean?
Sonora is a feminine given name borrowed from the Mexican state of Sonora and the Sonoran Desert that lies within it. The meaning of the place name is uncertain. A traditional explanation derives it from Spanish sonora, meaning "sonorous" or "resonant," and some accounts connect it with Nuestra Señora ("Our Lady"). Neither has been established, and both may be folk explanations. Other accounts trace the name to an Indigenous language of northwestern Mexico, such as Ópata, but no specific word has been securely identified.
Because the name comes from a geographic name, it has no separate etymology of its own in English. Its sense as a personal name is closer to "of Sonora" or "from Sonora" than to a translated word.
Sonora Name History & Origins
Sonora is first a region name. During the colonial period, the area was administered as Sonora y Sinaloa within New Spain, and the province name Sonora was in use in that era. After Mexican independence, Sonora became a state in 1824, with Hermosillo as its capital. The name also came into English through the Sonoran Desert and through towns named for the region, including Sonora in California, a Gold Rush settlement, and Sonora, Texas.
As a personal name in the United States, Sonora is uncommon and appears mainly for girls. A documented bearer was Sonora Webster Carver (1904 - 2003), who performed as a diving-horse rider at the Steel Pier in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Her name reflects the wider American practice of drawing given names from place names.
How Popular is the Name Sonora?
Sonora has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2023. Its best rank was #2,771 in 1992.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #3,023 | 55 | 0.0034% |
| 2024 | #2,960 | 56 | 0.0035% |
| 2023 | #2,778 | 62 | 0.0039% |
| 2022 | #2,851 | 60 | 0.0037% |
| 2021 | #3,384 | 47 | 0.0029% |
| 2020 | #3,328 | 47 | 0.0029% |
| 2019 | #2,850 | 59 | 0.0035% |
| 2018 | #3,150 | 52 | 0.0031% |
| 2017 | #3,087 | 53 | 0.0031% |
| 2016 | #3,653 | 43 | 0.0024% |
| 2015 | #4,061 | 37 | 0.0021% |
| 2014 | #3,772 | 41 | 0.0023% |
| 2013 | #4,526 | 32 | 0.0018% |
| 2012 | #5,096 | 28 | 0.0016% |
| 2011 | #3,906 | 39 | 0.0022% |
| 2010 | #4,017 | 38 | 0.0021% |
| 2009 | #5,517 | 26 | 0.0014% |
| 2008 | #6,113 | 23 | 0.0012% |
| 2007 | #3,907 | 41 | 0.0021% |
| 2006 | #5,360 | 26 | 0.0014% |
| 2005 | #5,414 | 24 | 0.0013% |
| 2004 | #6,461 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 2003 | #5,076 | 25 | 0.0014% |
| 2002 | #6,660 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2001 | #4,990 | 24 | 0.0013% |
| 2000 | #5,132 | 23 | 0.0013% |
| 1999 | #4,712 | 24 | 0.0014% |
| 1998 | #4,224 | 27 | 0.0015% |
| 1997 | #3,994 | 28 | 0.0016% |
| 1996 | #5,500 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 1995 | #5,001 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 1994 | #4,225 | 25 | 0.0014% |
| 1993 | #3,498 | 32 | 0.0018% |
| 1992 | #2,771 | 44 | 0.0024% |
| 1991 | #5,633 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 1990 | #12,747 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1989 | #14,255 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1988 | #13,603 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1986 | #10,721 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1985 | #12,252 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1984 | #10,223 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1982 | #12,057 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1980 | #11,906 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1978 | #6,867 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 1977 | #8,314 | 7 | 0.0005% |
| 1976 | #5,547 | 11 | 0.0008% |
| 1974 | #6,183 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 1972 | #9,432 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1971 | #5,476 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1968 | #6,163 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1967 | #5,390 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1966 | #5,723 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1965 | #4,464 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1964 | #3,672 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1963 | #5,810 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1962 | #6,474 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1961 | #6,469 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1959 | #4,978 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1954 | #5,082 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1953 | #5,592 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1947 | #4,718 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1943 | #5,291 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1937 | #4,848 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1929 | #5,196 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1924 | #3,960 | 8 | 0.0006% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
Explore More Lists with Name Sonora
Most Popular Girl Names That Start with S
How the Name Sonora Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are spiritually intense and can sting or charm. Your name brings love and new starts into life and attracts money. In business, you are the creator and promoter of original ideas and usually enjoy considerable financial success. You are frank, methodical and believe in law, system and order.
You are always looking for a chance to do your own thing, to be your own person, and to have things done your own way.
✦ Sonora's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Sonora's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.