What's the most popular baby name?

A naming expert is amazed at the global popularity of the name Sophia. Photo / iStock

The numbers are in and Sophia is the queen of baby names.

A new study by naming expert Laura Wattenberg has found that Sophia, and its variants including Sofia, is the most popular baby name in the world.

Wattenberg collected name statistics from 49 countries, and Sophia, which means "wisdom" topped lists in nine countries, including Italy, Slovakia, Russia and Mexico.

Taking into account local spellings, it was among the top 25 baby names in two-thirds of the countries surveyed.

In New Zealand, Sophie ranked fifth on the list last year, with 211 Kiwi baby girls joining the popular club, while 198 Sophia's came in at number nine.

Wattenberg said the name's worldwide number one status is thanks to its ability to transcend borders.

"It just blew me away that so many different languages and cultures would arrive at the same sound at the same time," she told Live Science.

"Most of the forces behind other global fashion trends, like clothing or music, don't apply here. There are no commercial influences on baby names, no marketing or advertising campaigns. Nor is this a celebrity-driven phenomenon.

"While there are famous Sofia's and Sophie's today, they don't approach the global fame that Sophia Loren achieved fifty years ago."

And Wattenberg doesn't think the name will remain in the top spot for long.

"Just the fact of tracking what the top 100 baby names are makes people competitive," she explained. "Everyone is trying to avoid the number-one name, because they think that's too ordinary, so names rise and fall faster than they used to."

Top 10 Kiwi girls' names for 2014

1. Charlotte 255
2. Olivia 243
3. Isla 226
4. Emily 221
5. Sophie 211
6. Amelia 210
7. Ella 206
8. Harper 204
9. Sophia 198
10. Ruby 180

(Figures: The Department of Internal Affairs)

- nzherald.co.nz