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Theophila Gwatkin (née Palmer; 1757 – 1848) was a British painter. She is described as an amateur artist and is best known for pictures painted of her by her uncle Sir Joshua Reynolds. She also compiled, added a preface, footnote glosses and a dictionary of dialect terms to her mother's, Mary Reynolds, A Devonshire Dialogue.
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Hmm... I'm not sure why you chose to list Θεοφίλα (Theophila) in the main database over Θεοφίλη (Theophile). Both names were used in Ancient Greece, but the latter is more authentic (as it ends in -e) and also clearly more common in the centuries BC. Theophila is more common in the centuries AD, which must be due to Roman influence, as Greece was fully part of the Roman Empire by the start of the 1st century AD (and thus the dawn of Christianity):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greece_in_the_Roman_era (in English)
In addition to this, the modern Greek transcriptions of the names are Θεοφίλα (Theofila) and Θεοφίλη (Theofili), but only the latter is still used in Greece. I think that makes sense, what with Theophile (and thus Theofili) being more authentically Greek and all.
All in all, personally I would classify Theophila as a variant of Theophile. It became more popular during the Roman era (as the -a fits right in with Latin feminine names, which all end in -a), but eventually it fell out of use. Meanwhile, the original (Theophile) has stuck around all this time and is still in use. [will add Theophile -ed]
Sources used:
- https://www.trismegistos.org/name/5474 (in English; TM has no separate entry for Theophila and instead listed the name under Theophile)
- Lexicon of Greek Personal Names (LGPN):
• Θεοφίλα (Theophila): http://clas-lgpn2.classics.ox.ac.uk/cgi-bin/lgpn_search.cgi?namenoaccents=%CE%98%CE%B5%CE%BF%CF%86%CE%B9%CE%BB%CE%B1 (in English; features 35 results)
• Θεοφίλη (Theophile): http://clas-lgpn2.classics.ox.ac.uk/cgi-bin/lgpn_search.cgi?namenoaccents=%CE%98%CE%B5%CE%BF%CF%86%CE%B9%CE%BB%CE%B7 (in English; features 40 results)
- https://el.wiktionary.org/wiki/%CE%98%CE%B5%CE%BF%CF%86%CE%AF%CE%BB%CE%B1 (in Greek; lists Theophila/Theofila as ancient Greek, i.e. no longer in use)
- https://el.wiktionary.org/wiki/%CE%98%CE%B5%CE%BF%CF%86%CE%AF%CE%BB%CE%B7 (in Greek; lists Theophile/Theofili as modern Greek, i.e. still in use)
- (general search for Theofila): https://gr.linkedin.com/pub/dir/Theofila/+/gr-0-Griekenland (lists only bearers living in Greece)
- (general search for Theofili): https://gr.linkedin.com/pub/dir/Theofili/+/gr-0-Griekenland (lists only bearers living in Greece)
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greece_in_the_Roman_era (in English)
In addition to this, the modern Greek transcriptions of the names are Θεοφίλα (Theofila) and Θεοφίλη (Theofili), but only the latter is still used in Greece. I think that makes sense, what with Theophile (and thus Theofili) being more authentically Greek and all.
All in all, personally I would classify Theophila as a variant of Theophile. It became more popular during the Roman era (as the -a fits right in with Latin feminine names, which all end in -a), but eventually it fell out of use. Meanwhile, the original (Theophile) has stuck around all this time and is still in use. [will add Theophile -ed]
Sources used:
- https://www.trismegistos.org/name/5474 (in English; TM has no separate entry for Theophila and instead listed the name under Theophile)
- Lexicon of Greek Personal Names (LGPN):
• Θεοφίλα (Theophila): http://clas-lgpn2.classics.ox.ac.uk/cgi-bin/lgpn_search.cgi?namenoaccents=%CE%98%CE%B5%CE%BF%CF%86%CE%B9%CE%BB%CE%B1 (in English; features 35 results)
• Θεοφίλη (Theophile): http://clas-lgpn2.classics.ox.ac.uk/cgi-bin/lgpn_search.cgi?namenoaccents=%CE%98%CE%B5%CE%BF%CF%86%CE%B9%CE%BB%CE%B7 (in English; features 40 results)
- https://el.wiktionary.org/wiki/%CE%98%CE%B5%CE%BF%CF%86%CE%AF%CE%BB%CE%B1 (in Greek; lists Theophila/Theofila as ancient Greek, i.e. no longer in use)
- https://el.wiktionary.org/wiki/%CE%98%CE%B5%CE%BF%CF%86%CE%AF%CE%BB%CE%B7 (in Greek; lists Theophile/Theofili as modern Greek, i.e. still in use)
- (general search for Theofila): https://gr.linkedin.com/pub/dir/Theofila/+/gr-0-Griekenland (lists only bearers living in Greece)
- (general search for Theofili): https://gr.linkedin.com/pub/dir/Theofili/+/gr-0-Griekenland (lists only bearers living in Greece)
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This name was also used among the German minority in Bessarabia: https://ofb.genealogy.net/famreport.php?ofb=krasna&ID=I15041&nachname=Ternes&modus=&lang=de
https://ofb.genealogy.net/famreport.php?ofb=krasna&ID=I4032&nachname=Volk&modus=&lang=de
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https://ofb.genealogy.net/famreport.php?ofb=krasna&ID=I4032&nachname=Volk&modus=&lang=de
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It's my name, but with a different spelling Theofilla. I like the name because it's rare and has a beautiful meaning and also because my father named me even before I was born.
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This has always been considered a very odd and unusual name that has always been rare. I think, due to this, this name has some sort of mysterious quality about it, making it quite appealing, I think. :)
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This name means, "Lover of God".
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