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

Brabant
Latin
● 1312 Sophie (gen) JeanIII p. 12
France
Latin
● 1138x62 Sophia (abl) clairvaux-12thc 91
Germany
Latin
● 1248 Sophia (nom) hennes-vol1 129, Sophya (nom) ibid. 126; 1258 Sophya (nom) ibid. 175
Italy
Latin
● 1265x1339 Sofia (nom) BBC-Berg 205
Latvia
Latin
● 1288 Sophie (gen) RigSB 511
Cite as: S.L. Uckelman. "Sophia". In S.L. Uckelman, ed. The Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, Edition 2015, no. 3. http://dmnes.org/2015/3/name/Sophia.