Euphemia, also spelled Eufemia, is a feminine given name of Greek origin meaning "well spoken", from a combination of the Greek word elements eu , meaning "good", and phēmí, "to speak". Several early Christian saints were called Euphemia. The name was in vogue in the Anglosphere during the 1800s and has traditionally been particularly well-used in Scotland.[1]

Euphemia
A Croatian mural depicting the 3rd and 4th century virgin martyr Euphemia
Pronunciationyou-FEE-mee-uh or you-FEH-mee-uh
GenderFemale
Language(s)Greek
Origin
Meaning"Well spoken of'", '"of good reputation"
Other names
Related namesEffemy, Efim, Effie, Eppie, Eufemia, Euphame, Eupheme, Euphémie, Euphemios, Euphie, Femi, Femie, Fima, Fimka, Jefimija, Phemie, Evfimia, Yefim, Yevfymiy, Yevfymiya
Effie Gray by John Everett Millais, 1853
Euphemia Lamb as portrayed by Ambrose McEvoy, 1909

Variant forms

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Effie and Eppie are diminutives. Effemy was an English vernacular form.[1] Other diminutives include Euphie, Femie and Phemie. Other Scottish vernacular forms in use were Euphame or Eupheme. Variants in other languages include the Brazilian Portuguese Eufêmia, French Euphémie, Greek Effimia, Italian and Spanish Eufemia, European Portuguese Eufémia, Russian Evfimia, Evfimiya, or Yevfimiya, with diminutives Fima or Fimka, Serbian Jefimija, and Ukrainian Yevfymiya.[2]

Usage

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Euphemia, a traditional name in Scotland, was among the top 100 names for newborn girls in Scotland between 1935 and 1947 but then declined in use. It was among the top 1,000 names for newborn girls in the United States at different points between 1880 and 1903 and then declined in use. It is still in occasional use for girls in the United States: sixteen American girls were given the name in 2022.[3] [4]

People

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Saints

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  • Euphemia (died 303 CE), Christian martyr and saint

Royalty

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Nobles

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Other people

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As second name

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Pen name

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  • Euphemia Kirk, pen name of Mary Church Terrell (1863–1954), American civil rights activist, journalist, and teacher

Fictional characters

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Notes

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  1. ^ a b Hanks, Patrick; Hardcastle, Kate; Hodges, Flavia (2006). Oxford Dictionary of First Names. Oxford University Press. pp. 85, 95. ISBN 0-19-861060-2.
  2. ^ https://www.behindthename.com/name/euphemia
  3. ^ https://www.behindthename.com/name/euphemia
  4. ^ "Beyond the top 1,000". ssa.gov. United States Social Security Administration. Retrieved 6 December 2023.