Counts from US Social Security Administration birth records going back to 1880. Names with fewer than 5 births per year are not published by the SSA. For the full rarity score for your exact spelling, visit howmanyofmes.com
Why Your Spelling Determines How Common Your Name Is
The US Social Security Administration records each spelling as a completely separate entry. Sophia and Sofia are two distinct names in the SSA database their counts are never combined. This means parents who choose Sofia are opting into a smaller group than parents who choose Sophia, despite the names being phonetically identical. The same split appears across hundreds of name groups. Caitlin, Kaitlin, Kaitlyn, Katelyn, and Caitlyn all sound the same in speech but each carries a separate SSA count. Understanding which spelling holds the most US holders changes how common or rare a name actually feels in practice, not just on paper.
The Largest Soundalike Splits in US Name Data
| Name Group | Most Common Spelling | Less Common Variant |
|---|---|---|
| Sarah / Sara | Sarah (~1,040,000) | Sara (~112,000) |
| Brian / Bryan | Brian (~890,000) | Bryan (~148,000) |
| Emily cluster | Emily (~680,000) | Emilee (~22,000) |
| Madison cluster | Madison (~420,000) | Maddison (~12,000) |
| Sophia / Sofia | Sophia (highly common) | Sofia (less common) |
| Aiden cluster | Aiden (~158,000) | Ayden (~31,000) |
| Chloe / Khloe | Chloe (~280,000) | Khloe (~48,000) |
Counts are estimated living US holders from SSA birth records going back to 1880.
What the Three Type Labels Mean
Alternate Spelling: the same name written differently. Sofia is a variant of Sophia, which comes directly from the Greek word σοφία meaning wisdom. While both spellings are popular, Sofia is more fashionable in Italy and throughout Spanish and Portuguese-speaking cultures. The SSA counts them separately regardless of shared origin.
Phonetic Match: a distinct name that sounds nearly identical in speech. Mia and Maya are separate names with separate origins but are frequently confused in conversation. Their counts differ significantly Mia at approximately 320,000 US holders versus Maya at approximately 148,000.
Near Homophone: names that sound nearly identical in most accents but have slight phonetic differences in careful speech. Elijah and Elias fall into this group. Both trace to Hebrew origins and share a similar rhythm but are distinct names with separate SSA counts.
Why Parents Search for Soundalike Names
Three reasons drive soundalike searches. First is the spelling decision: parents have settled on a sound but want to know which spelling is more or less common before registering a birth. Second is frequency context: a parent who believes they are choosing a rare name by picking an unusual spelling may find the name sounds identical to a very common one in every classroom. Third is confirmation: parents who already chose a spelling want to know how it compares to the alternatives they passed on. Some 40% of parents choose to skip the traditional spelling when naming their baby, making this a decision point for nearly half of all new parents.
The soundalike list shows the count for each phonetic variant so you can see exactly how your spelling compares. For the full rarity score, age distribution, and state breakdown for your specific spelling, visit HowManyOfMe at howmanyofmes.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
Conclusion
The spelling you choose locks in a specific SSA count and that count can differ greatly from a phonetically identical name. Check every soundalike above to see the full picture, then verify your exact count at howmanyofmes.com.