Proper noun

1. , borne by an early Christian saint, and by European royalty.
2. An Æon (a form of divine being) in the Gnostic tradition.

Quotations

• 1766 Oliver Goldsmith: The Vicar of Wakefield:

  I intended to call her after Aunt Grizel, but my wife who, during pregnancy, had been reading romances, insisted upon her being called Olivia. In less than another year we had another daughter, and now I was determined that Grizel should be her name; but a rich relation taking a fancy to stand godmother, the girl was, by her directions, called Sophia, so that we had two romantic names in the family, but I solemnly protest I had no hand in it.

• 1998 Anne Tyler, A Patchwork Planet, A.A.Knopf Inc., page 2:

  Gram said, "Sophia. Would that be an Italian name?" "It came from a great-aunt," Sophia told her, turning briefly in her direction. "Was your great-aunt Italian?" "No, Scottish." "Oh." I knew what Gram was aiming at here. She wanted to find out whether Sophia was Catholic. She poked her headful of pink curlers forward for a moment and looked at me. "Presbyterian, " I told her. "Oh." She sat back again, Oh, well, you could see her thinking, her own daughter had married Episcopal and the sky hadn't fallen in. "It's a pretty name, anyhow," she told Sophia. "Thank you." "I like names that end with an a, don't you? - - -

Proper noun

1. , cognate to English Sophia.

Proper noun

1. , a less common spelling of Sofia.