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How common is the female name Ia (pron. "EE-uh")? Is there any info available on its history or meaning? All I know is that it's a Greek Catholic saint/martyr name. It's very rare here in Finland, but I've seen it occasionally appearing in baby name books.
TIA for any info,
Lassia
TIA for any info,
Lassia
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Replies
Hei Lassia,
in Sweden (and probably even in Finland) Ia is a pet form for Maria or any other name with "ia" in it.
At the moment there are 359 women and girls in Sweden with that name, 250 of them have it for "tilltalsnamn" (= name by which the person is called). In 2001 there were born just 8 Ias, and 3 of them have it for "tilltalsnamn".
So it's quite rare indeed (probably a lot more girls and women are actually CALLED Ia, having another first name like Mia or Maria or Sofia or something like that.).
Terveisin
Satu
in Sweden (and probably even in Finland) Ia is a pet form for Maria or any other name with "ia" in it.
At the moment there are 359 women and girls in Sweden with that name, 250 of them have it for "tilltalsnamn" (= name by which the person is called). In 2001 there were born just 8 Ias, and 3 of them have it for "tilltalsnamn".
So it's quite rare indeed (probably a lot more girls and women are actually CALLED Ia, having another first name like Mia or Maria or Sofia or something like that.).
Terveisin
Satu
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Hei Satu, and thanks for the Swedish stats! In Finland, there are only 84 women named Ia of which 6 were born in 2002. The even rarer spellings of the name are Iia and Ija. I have never thought of Ia as a pet form of Maria (Antonia, Sofia, Julia, Emilia...)! But as the Finnish language always puts the stress on the first syllable, I guess it would be strange if a Maria (MA-ree-a) was called Ia. In Swedish, it sounds perfectly normal, though.
Lass
Lass
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*A Lexicon of Personal Greek Names* has collected all Greek names found in literature, inscriptions, graffiti, papyri, coins, vases and other artefacts), from the earliest Greek written records down to the sixth century A.D. Of the 22,346 recorded women , there are records for only 2 women called Ia. Quite rare even back then :)
The name Ia is quite possibly related to *iasthai* meaning "to heal".
The name Ia is quite possibly related to *iasthai* meaning "to heal".
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Thanks! Another thought came to mind: could Ia have been mixed up with the goddess Io to make the spelling more feminine?
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There are two thypes of "o" in Greek, the omicron (small o) and the omega (large o, with a longer pronounciation) All fem. Greek names ending with -o, end with an omega, and are accented in the last syllable. Believe it or not, this sound is considered quite feminine (and incredibly sexy) in Greece :)
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Yes! I used to study Greek for a while so I know something about the -o. But taken that most feminine names in, say, Romance languages end in -a, people might have wished to change the -o in Greek names into something more recognizable in the new environment (as opposed to male names such as Mio and Pio)... Just a thought.
Completely off the topic, since you're our Greek scholar: another Greek word I've been thinking about lately is Zoë. Zooee means "life" as in "life given by God", right? Now what is the difference between "zooee" and "bios"?
Lass
Completely off the topic, since you're our Greek scholar: another Greek word I've been thinking about lately is Zoë. Zooee means "life" as in "life given by God", right? Now what is the difference between "zooee" and "bios"?
Lass
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Scholar, moi? Phtt! *You* are the scholar, to inquire about such nuances as the difference between Zoe and Bios :)
"Bios" means life, but in the sense of "livelihood" or "mode of life". Its offshoots words such as "biography" and "biology".
"Zoe" also means life, but more in the sense of "living and being alive". It is a much "livelier" expression for life than Bios. Related words include Zoon (living animal) and, hence, zoo ;)
"Bios" means life, but in the sense of "livelihood" or "mode of life". Its offshoots words such as "biography" and "biology".
"Zoe" also means life, but more in the sense of "living and being alive". It is a much "livelier" expression for life than Bios. Related words include Zoon (living animal) and, hence, zoo ;)
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Thanks!
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