52 Ancestors Week 6 - Favorite Name - It's All About Wisdom!

This week's post is a fun one!  My all-time favorite girl's name is Sophie, which I guess is why I named my daughter that!  Though I officially named her with the Polish version, Zofia, to honor my beloved birth mother.  

Zofia Skalska age 15, August 1941, Kraków,

But when I think about it, I prefer the ring of Sophie...said the way the French do (soh-FEE), with the accent on the second syllable.  It has a sound to my ear that is so soothing and full of love...I can't quite fully explain it.  Of course, I also like the sound of Zofia (when it is said correctly as 2 syllables and with a short o they way Poles say it, ZO-fya) and it evokes in me a sense of strength and independence which I think is apt in both cases.  But I absolutely abhor the name Sophia said the way Americans say it, with 3 syllables and the accent on the middle syllable (soh-FEE-ah).  I can't explain exactly why, but it just sounds very guttural and course to my ear!

My darling Sophie, age 18, New York, 2018

From what I have read, Sophie is the French form of the Greek name Sophia, which derives from the the Greek word "sophos" meaning wisdom.  The owl, which is popularly considered a symbol of wisdom, thus is also associated with the name. In the last few years, I have had an obsession with owls and consider it to be my Spirit Animal Guide, which is thought to be able to guide us in navigating any darkness in our lives.  Living within the darkness, the owl is also correlated with the moon which, with its cycles of renewal, is a symbol of femininity and fertility.  Not surprisingly, in the last two years I have also become obsessed with learning more about the moon, and even dedicated 2017 as the "year of moon study," which I am still continuing!  Just writing all this out helps me to see all the connections in my life, that otherwise might have stayed undissected and not understood!  Amazing how the process of writing can do this...I highly recommend it!

Some of my favorite owl possessions, a silver painted glass candle holder and small figurines done by Breyer

Oddly enough, Sophie is now not as popular a name within France itself, but has a great following in Northern Ireland and Scotland where it has held the number one spot.  It is also the preferred version and is a top ten baby name in Ireland, England, Australia, and the Netherlands, whereas in the United States Sophia (and Sofia) still reign supreme.


Next Week's topic is Valentine...