A Sophia by Any Other Name Would Be Just as Wise? A Blogging

According to my mum and dad, I was named Sophia because it’s a beautiful Italian name (though the origin is Greek) with a slight influence from Sophia Loren, a beautiful Italian actress (though I am not an actress, hopefully I can be a beautiful Italian baker or Mario Kart champion or something).  Also, my dad said that we didn’t have to pay homage to any rich relatives by naming me after them so I could be named virtually anything, though my grandmother campaigned heartily for Charlotte which I associate with Charlotte the Spider, whose death has tortured me emotionally since childhood.

In Greek, Sophia means “wisdom.”  Now just because I’m named Sophia doesn’t necessarily mean I’m wise, but if its true that people’s names describe them, being wise wouldn’t really be such a bad thing.  Historically, the name Sophia originated from a misunderstanding dating back to the middle ages when the large basilica Hagia Sophia

(“Holy Wisdom” in Turkish) in Istanbul was created and people thought the name came from a saint who died of grief following the deaths of her three daughters.  I’m not really sure how I feel about my name originating from someone whose daughters died nor do I wish to be tied with such a tragic event, but I have to admit the story is intriguing and that's definitely a movie I’d see.  On a slightly happier note, Sophia was a common name in European royalty during the Middle Ages.  Sophia became much more popular in Britain by the Hanover House of Germany when they inherited the British Throne.  Since then it has been a name for characters in the works of Henry Fielding and Oliver Goldsmith in Tom Jones and The Vicar of Wakefield respectively. 

Not to be confused with Sophie, Sophia is, in my opinion, a completely different name.  Too many times to count have teachers on the first day taking roll call ask if I’d like to be called Sophie. As a Sophia, this insults me.  I love my name and I’d like to be called by it in full.  But is Sophia really too long a name to pronounce? The is ‘A’ at the end really too much work for you to say? It’s only six letters, not quite the mouthful like Elizabeth, Charlotte, or Madeleine.  For future reference, I’d like to keep Sophia and Sophie separate.  That extra syllable at the end really gives the name a certain je ne sais quoi that Sophie doesn’t have (maybe it's the extra syllable).  Though both names are similar (and actually have the same dictionary definition) as a Sophia, I see them as completely different. 

I’m not sure everyone can say their name is the capital and largest city of a country.  But luckily for me, I can!  Though its spelling is not exactly how I’d like it, Sofia, Bulgaria is a beautiful European city located at the foot of Mt. Vitosha. 

Considerably much cooler than my 16 years on earth, Sofia itself is 2,400 years old.  Not only do I have a Sofia city, but also a Sofia University where I will no doubt attend and receive a complete scholarship because sharing a name is a deep, spiritual bond.  I’m only kidding, but I wouldn’t say no to a trip to Bulgaria, it is, after all, a place with deep meaning to me. 
             Hopefully Sophia will be able to find Sophia in Sofia, with perhaps a group of other 
Sophias/Sofias (but no Sophies).