sophia

name

1. A female given name from Ancient Greek.

   “To say the truth, Sophia, when very young, discerned that Tom, though an idle, thoughtless, rattling rascal, was nobody's enemy but his own […]”

   “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.”

2. An aeon (a form of divine being) in the Gnostic tradition.
3. A town in West Virginia, United States; named for early resident Sophia McGinnis.

noun

1. (alt-of, archaic, historical)Archaic spelling of Safawi.

   “It is written from Constantinople that the 'Sophia' of Persia is dead and that his brother had taken the government.”