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[ syll. ap-hra, aph-ra ] The girl name Aphra is pronounced as AEF-Rah †. Aphra is used chiefly in Arabic and English, and it is derived from Arabic and Hebrew origins. Hebrew origin, English use: Biblical name literally from the element 'aphra' with the meaning dust. The name is of obscure origin; in the Bible it was derived from a place name 'the house of Aphrah'. This phrase has sometimes been misinterpreted, which led to Aphrah being mistaken as a personal name when it actually meant a place name denoted as 'dust'. The name could also have evolved from an ancient Irish name Afric or the Late Latin name Afra. It was later taken to imply people of dark hair and color. The name was also borne by early saints martyred under Hadrian and Diocletian, and is most well-known from playwright, author, and spy Aphra Behn (1640-1989); her name has also been recorded variously as Afra and Ayfara. In literature, the rare diminutive Affery has appeared in the Charles Dickens novel Little Dorrit (1857). In addition, Aphra is a variation of the name Afra (Arabic).
Affery (English pet form) is a variant of the name. See also the related forms, Africa (English) and Afric (Irish). Aphra is seldom used as a baby name for girls. It is not listed within the top 1000 names. Baby names that sound like Aphra include Abra (Ewe and English), Abrah (Akposso and Ewe), Abree (English), Abri (English), Afra (English), Aphro, Aprelle (English), Aubree (English), Aubrey (English), Aubri (English), Aubrie (English), Aubry (English), Avary, Avrill (English), Ofra (Hebrew), Abir (Arabic), Abira (Hebrew), Abre (English), Affery (English), and Aphria. A famous person named Aphra is Playwright Aphra Behn, born Aphra Johnson, 1640 - 16 April 1689, Near Canterbury, England.
† approx pronunciation for Aphra: AE as in "at (AE.T)" ; F as in "fee (F.IY)" ; R as in "read (R.IY.D)" ; AH as in "hut (HH.AH.T)"   |
