This is the most popular girl's name in the world

A rose by any other name would smell less sweet?

(Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Sofia is the most popular girl’s name in the world, topping the charts in eight countries, research conducted by babynamewizard.com found.

However, it ranks in just 29^th place in the UK, according to latest figures from the Office for National Statistics.

The site’s founder, Laura Wattenberg, gathered baby name statistics from 49 different countries before crowning Sofia the ultimate winner.

The Greek moniker was the top choice for parents in Mexico, Russia, Argentina, Italy, Switzerland, Estonia, Chile and Slovakia.

Meanwhile, it made the top three in a total of 20 countries, including the US, in its varying spellings e.g. Sophia.

“It just blew me away that so many different languages and cultures would arrive at the same sound at the same time,” Wattenberg told Live Science when the results were announced in November 2015.

Olivia is currently the most popular girl's name in the UK, so, why has Sofia strike such a chord in other parts of the world?

The name itself means wisdom in Greek and is easily-pronounced in a number of international tongues, which might explain the global appeal.

The name is also central to Hellenistic philosophies and refers to the goddess of wisdom by Gnostics.

In some strands of orthodox Christianity, Hagia Sophia is also understood as the second person in the Holy Trinity and is mentioned in the Old Testament.

Religious connotations aside, some speculate that the name surged in popularity thanks to celebrities such as Modern Family star Sofia Vergara and Sophia Loren.

Less notable Sofias who might be influential in the name's popularity, albeit on a smaller scale, include director Sofia Coppola, model Sofia Ritchie and Princess Sofia of Sweden – one person’s celebrity offspring is another person’s Scandinavian princess.

You never know where people are going to seek their inspiration from.