The Origin and Meaning of the Name Sophia

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The name Sophia is of Greek origin and its meaning alludes to a woman "who has wisdom". It's an ideal name for a princess.

The Origin and Meaning of the Name Sophia

Reviewed and approved by the pediatrician Marcela Alejandra Caffulli.

Written by Maria del Mar Garcia Martin

Last update: 05 March, 2023

Are you looking for a name for the little queen of the house? If so, we invite you to discover all the details related to the origin and meaning of the name Sophia, a name of Greek roots by nature that undoubtedly has many secrets to discover.

Discover the origin and meaning of the name Sophia

Sophia is a female name that comes from Greek. In this regard, it alludes to a woman “who has wisdom”. For this reason, today you can find this Greek root converted into a suffix to refer to many fields of knowledge related to science and other branches. One of the examples is philosophy, which alludes to the “love of wisdom” and comes from the term sophia.

However, other authors maintain other hypotheses. For example, according to an article developed at the Universidad de la Sabana and published in 2005 for the Revista Pensamiento y Cultura, the idea that sophia in the original Greek texts means “wisdom” is refuted.

“The Greek Sophia, in the beginning (from Homer’s times to Plato’s and even partially to Aristotle) did not mean wisdom but, above all, the masterly skill of a practical nature.”
– Piotr Jaroszynski (2005) –

For this reason, it’s also a perfect choice to define the woman who has clear ideas and carries them out. She who’s not afraid to experiment in order to discover the truth.

A young girl walking down a street in Greece. — Sophia is a name of Greek origin that means “she who has wisdom,” although there are other hypotheses about its meaning.

Saint Sophia

The onomastics of Sophia is celebrated on September 18 in honor of Saint Sophia, a martyr venerated by the Orthodox Church. However, according to the Catholic Church, the celebration would be on December 30. So, if someone close to you is lucky enough to have this name, make a note of the dates to congratulate her. And if your daughter was born on this day and you want Saint Sophia to be her guardian angel, don’t hesitate to call her that name.

As the story goes, Saint Sophia had three daughters: Faith, Hope, and Charity. It’s said that all three were martyred by guards until their death during the rule of Emperor Hadrian. At her tomb, Sophia was kept for three days until she died.

Today, Hagia Sophia is a temple recognized worldwide as the main symbol of Istanbul, Turkey, once the ancient city of Constantinople. It was ordered to be built by Emperor Justinian between 532 and 527, by divine inspiration, according to research supported by the Spanish-Hellenic Cultural Association. However, it wasn’t built in honor of the martyr, but as a consecration to the divine wisdom of God.

Sophia, one of the most popular names in the United States and abroad

According to national statistics, 38,641 women in the United States have this name, which is considered one of the most popular names. This information reflects the enormous degree of popularity that Sophia has when parents are deciding on the name of the future princesses of the house.

Those with the name Sophia may also go by the name of Sophie.

Discover: Queen names for girls

The Hagia Sophia Mosque. — The Hagia Sophia Mosque is one of the main symbols of the city of Istanbul, Turkey. Previously, it was also an Orthodox basilica and a museum.

Variants of Sophia in other languages

As a study published by the Archivo de Arqueología de Madrid shows, the influence of the Greeks in the pre-Roman world was decisive. The Celtiberians copied the Romans, the Tartessians copied the Greeks and Romans, and the Romans received their influences from the Greeks. This is how these influences, in reality, intertwined.

The greatest example is found in the variants of the names of the Greek gods in Roman: Zeus is Jupiter, Aphrodite is Venus, and Neptune is Poseidon. It’s clear that the Hellenistic model in the world was admired. Therefore, it’s not surprising that the name Sophia has so many variants spread around the globe:

German: Sophia or Sophie
French: Sophie
Georgian: Sopho
Greek: Sophia or Sofia
Spanish: Sofía
Icelandic: Soffía
Italian: Sofia
Latin: Sophia or Sofia
Lithuanian: Sofija
Russian: Sofia or Sonia
Polish: Zofia
Slovak: Zofia.
Hungarian: Zsófia
Dutch/Low Saxon German: Sofie

Read also: The Origin and Meaning of the Name Emma

Now that you know the origin and meaning of the name Sophia, consider this option for your little girl

After having reviewed all the details about this name, we hope you’ve fallen even more in love with this spectacular option. A name of a Greek queen, beautiful, wise, and full of charm, can you imagine naming the future blessing of the house this way?

If you’re looking for an option full of delicacy, personality, tradition, and elegance, Sophia is one of the best candidates. On the other hand, if you know someone who carries this name, don’t miss the opportunity to tell her everything that has been exposed in the above article, she’ll be very excited to know her origins and what her precious name means!