Gender: Feminine
Origin: English
The name comes directly from the English word and has been in usage since at least the 16th-century. In the United States, Joy ranked in as the # 548th most popular female name. Another variation is the Italian Gioia, (JOY-ah).
The name is borne by TV host of the View, (nee Josephina Victoria b.1042) and Italian pop singer, Gioia Bruno (b.1963)
Gender: Feminine
Origin: Old Norse
Meaning: “beautiful Thor.”
The name is derived from the Old Norse Tófa, which is a short form of Þórfríðr which in turn is composed of the elements Thor and fríðr meaning “beautiful.” In 2006, Tove ranked in at # 98 in the Top 100 female names of Sweden. While in 2007, its other form of Tova came in at # 87.
Tova is coincidentally a Hebrew female ( טוֹבָה) name meaning “good”, which is sometimes transliterated as Tovah.
In Sweden, the designated name day for Tove and Tova is September 10, while in Norway it is November 2.
Gender: Feminine
Origin: Finnish
Meaning: “trap or; virtue.”
(AHN-sah)
Gender: Feminine
Origin: Italian
Meaning: “hope”
(spay-RAHN-zah).
We are all aware of the Spanish classic, Esperanza, but this Italian gem is often overlooked. Speranza is the Italian word for hope and its name day is August 1st.
Gender: Feminine
Origin: Latvian/Spanish/Portuguese
Meaning: “dignity.”
(DEEG-nah); (DEENG-yah).
The name is derived from the Latin dignum meaning “dignified.” It was borne by an early Christian martyr. Its designated name day is July 19
Gender: Feminine
Origin: Lithuanian
Meaning: “hope”
(VEEL-tay)
The name is derived from the Lithuanian word viltis, meaning “hope.”
It is a direct translation of the Latin saint’s name Spes.
It is currently the 8th most popular female name in Lithuania (2008)
Gender: Female
Origin: Greek
Meaning: “wisdom.”
(so-FEE-yuh); (so-FYE-uh)
A long time Greek classic, the name suddenly appeared in the U.S top 100 circa 2000, and budged itself into the # 6 spot in 2007.
Sophia comes directly from the Greek, and was often used as a personification for Wisdom in philosophical, Christian, Jewish and Gnostic texts.
In Christian lore, Saint Sophia was the mother of three Christian martyrs, Hope (Elpida), Faith (Pisti) and Charity (Agapi). She supposedly died from grief after the death of her daughters, and is now one of the most revered saints of the Eastern Christian churches, making the name a longstanding classic throughout Eastern Europe and modern Greece.
Sophia is the Greek spelling, which seems to be the most worn form in the Western World. However, Sofia is the variation often used in continental Europe.
Sophia was not introduced into the English-speaking world until the 18-century, when it was introduced into the British Family Tree by the German Hanovers, from whose line the names Sophie and Sophia often appear.
In English, the pronunciation of so-FEE-yah, and so-FYE-uh are interchangeable. The former is more of a modern import, and the most popular. The latter is the older English pronunciation of the name, which is seldom heard in the States but is occasionally heard in Britain.
The designated name-days are: May 15 (Austria/Germany), May 25 (France), September 17 (Greece), September 30 (Lithuania/Spain),