Declining since 2018, #14,942 for girls today.
Popularity of Sojourner since 1970
Babies named Sojourner per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1970s | 37 |
| 1980s | 11 |
| 1990s | 36 |
| 2000s | 37 |
| 2010s | 47 |
| 2020s | 16 |
Meaning & origin
Sojourner is a name that carries the weight of history, directly evoking the 19th-century abolitionist and women's rights advocate Sojourner Truth. It first appeared on U.S. birth records in 1970, a century after Truth's death, and experienced a modest spike at rank 1,539 in its peak year of 1973. Its popularity has been declining since 2018, reflecting its continued rarity; in 2025 it ranked 14,942, with only about 1 in 321,453 baby girls receiving the name. Sojourner has never been heavily concentrated in any single state, maintaining a scattered presence across the country. As a word name with a transparent meaning, it appeals to parents drawn to names with moral gravity and a sense of purpose, though its strong historical tie keeps it from becoming a mainstream choice.
Sojourner derives from the Old French 'sojorner', meaning to stay or dwell temporarily. As a given name, it is almost exclusively associated with the famous abolitionist Sojourner Truth, who adopted the name in 1843 to signify her itinerant preaching. It has been used occasionally as a virtue name since the late 20th century.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Sojo, Journey
Sibling names for Sojourner
Names that share Sojourner's style, for a brother or sister.
