Sapphire, Safira, Sapir,

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From the name of the blue precious gem, many etymologists believe Sapphire is derived from the Greek σαπφειρος sappheiros meaning “sapphire” or “lapis lazuli,” which is ultimately derived from the Hebrew סַפִּיר (sappir), which is connected to an older Semitic word for “beauty.” Others believe it is derived from the Sanskrit Shanipriya (favoured by Saturn), as the sapphire is believed in Vedic astrology to be protective against the ill-affects of the planet Saturn.

As a female given-name, there is enough evidence to show that this name can trace its origins to ancient Israel. In the Bible, Shiphrah, which shares the same root with סַפִּיר (sappir), is the name of one of the midwifes who refused to kill Hebrew baby boys. Shiphrah also spawned the common Ashkanazi surnames of Shifrin & Shapiro.

Among Hellenized Jews, the form Sapphira would have been in use. It is the name of a woman in the Acts, in the New Testament, who is struck down by God for lying about money to the Holy Spirit.

The Ancient Greek Sappho has also been linked with the Sapphira, but the etymological connection to the former is highly disputed.

Safira, Zaffira and its masculine form of Zaffiro, experienced sporadic use in Medieval Northern Italy.

Sapphire, Sephare appear in use as a female name in Anglo-Norman England, albeit rare.

Sapphira experienced a minor revival among the Puritans in the 18th-century due to its Biblical connotations; the Puritans didn’t seem to care about the character of some Biblical figures when choosing a baby name.

In Portugal, Safira is currently the 100th Most Popular Female Name (2018).

Sapphire is currently the 361st Most Popular Female Name in England & Wales (2018).

Other forms include:

  • Sappheire Σαπφειρη (Biblical Greek)
  • Safir (Catalan)
  • Safira (Dutch/Polish/Portuguese/Scandinavian/Spanish)
  • Saphire (French)
  • Sephirine (French)
  • Saphira (German/Scandinavian)
  • Zafira (Hungarian/Spanish)
  • Saffira (Italian/Latin)
  • Sapfeira Σαπφείρα (Modern Greek)
  • Sapirit (Modern Hebrew, literally meaning “little saphire)
  • Zaffira (Medieval Italian)
  • Sapfíra Сапфи́ра (Russian)
  • Safina (Scandinavian)
  • Zefira (Polish)
  • Zefiryna (Polish)

Masculine forms include, Saffiro (Italian), Zaffiro (Italian) & Zafiro (Spanish).

Other associations include:

  • Saphira is the name of a species of white grapes.
  • Saphira is the name of the dragon in the series of fantasy books known as The Inheritance Cycle, by Christopher Paolini
  • Opel Zafira is the name of a make of car produced by General Motors and introduced in 2011
  • American poet Sapphire, (born Ramona Lofton in 1950)
  • Sapphire is the name of a fictional superheroine in the DC Comics Universe
  • Sapphire is the name of a character on the British web series, Corner Shop Show
  • Sapphire is the name of the main character on the British sci-fi series, Sapphire & Steele
  • Princess Sapphire is the main character in the manga series, Princess Knight
  • Sapphire, a 1959 British film recounting the murder of an eponymous mixed-race girl from the West Indies in London

The name is also borne by Dutch model, Safira de Wit (b.1989).

Sources

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