Dictionary of Medieval Names
from European Sources

Sophia f. Greek σοφία 'wisdom'.

The name of a 2nd C martyr, a 4th C martyr, a 15th C queen of Bohemia, and a 15th-16th C grand duchess of Moscow.

The name is sometimes, incorrectly, identified with Arabic Sāfiya, but that is an unrelated name, identical with the Arabic word 'to be pure'.

Belgium
Latin
1200 Sophia (abl) TSPDB-II p. 65; 1299 Sophia (nom) ibid. p. 66
Brabant
Latin
1312 Sophie (gen) JeanIII p. 12
England
Dutch
1589 Fijcken AuFr Reijnier
France
Latin
1138x62 Sophia (abl) clairvaux-12thc 91
Old French
1303 Souphie (obl) ArchReimsII1 XXXIII
Germany
Latin
1241 Sophie (gen) UrkMeck1 no. XXX; 1248 Sophia (nom) hennes-vol1 129, Sophya (nom) ibid. 126; 1258 Sophya (nom) ibid. 175; 1265 Sophie (gen) ibid. 206; 1273 Sophia (nom) ibid. 230; 1286 Sophie (gen) ibid. 302; 1288 Sophia (abl) ibid. 314, Sophiam (acc) ibid. 314, Sophie (dat) ibid. 314
Italy
Latin
1265x1339 Sofia (nom) BBC-Berg 205; 1387 Soffia (nom) Venditti II-2066
Latvia
Latin
1288 Sophie (gen) RigSB 511
Ukraine
Latin
1469 Zophia (nom) AGZ-18 30
Cite as: S.L. Uckelman. "Sophia". In S.L. Uckelman, ed. The Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, Edition 2023, no. 1. http://dmnes.org/2023/1/name/Sophia.