Apphia as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Apphia

What is the meaning of the name Apphia ?

The baby name Apphia is a Female name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced AP-fee-uh or AF-fee-uh (IPA: /ˈæp.i.ə/ or /ˈæf.i.ə/).

Apphia is Greek in Origin.

Apphia is a rare feminine name of Greek Koine origin, from Ἀφφία, appearing in the New Testament (Philemon 1:2) as a Christian woman in Colossae, often identified as Philemon’s wife. The name entered Christian onomastics through this verse and is venerated in Eastern Christianity and noted in some Western martyrologies with Philemon and Archippus; as a given name it saw sporadic use among early Christians, resurfaced occasionally in 17th–18th-century Puritan circles that favored obscure biblical names, and remains uncommon today, though preserved in some Orthodox traditions.

Its exact etymology is uncertain: scholars note possible Phrygian or Semitic roots, while later tradition glosses it as “fruitful” or “increase.” Variants stem from transliteration, including Aphia, Appia, and Slavic Apfiya/Apfia (Апфия). Short forms such as Fia or Effie sometimes occur in English, though the latter more usually derives from Euphemia. Related names by association include biblical Philemon and Archippus.