There are so many lovely 4+ syllable names for girls; narrowing it down to one was difficult but I decided on beautiful Seraphina.
Seraphina is the feminine form of the Late Latin male name Seraphinus. This name comes from the biblical, Hebrew word seraphim meaning "fiery ones" and referring to an order of angels that had six wings each. The Seraphim were described by the prophet Isaiah in the bible.
Seraphina was also the name of a 13th century saint from Italy who was known for making clothing for the poor.
As a name, Seraphina was never really favored in the past. However, it is starting to take off as an usual but pretty name. Actors Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner named their second daughter Seraphina Rose Elizabeth Affleck in 2009 which put the name on people's radars more, but yet it still remains mostly unused.
The celebrity endorsement bumped Seraphina from having only 50 births in 2008 to having 88 in 2009 and 107 in 2010. However, it has still only reached as high as 168 births in 2013 for a ranking of #1373. It may not popular, but that isn't a bad thing. Since it still lingers below the Top 1000 chart, it is actually quite a beautiful and rare gem, which makes it a great, unique name.
Sister-name Serafina (with an F) has surprisingly had more usage! Serafina first appeared on American babies in 1901 whereas Seraphina didn't pop up until 1981. Serafina had 117 births in 2013 ranking it at #1751. The spellings Saraphina (18 births) and Sarafina (25 births) are even less popular, but still viable options if you want Sara as a nickname. Other possible nicknames could include Phina/Fina, Sera, Fifi, and Sephy.
Why do you think this name is so unheard of? Do parents shy away from the association with angels? Putting that aside, Seraphina sounds and looks so beautiful and elegant, it's a wonder it hasn't caught on yet. Perhaps it makes a better middle name and has more usage in that spot. Any thoughts?
If you are considering using Seraphina or Serafina, here are some potential sibling and middle name ideas:
Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Anastasia, Arabella, Evangeline, Francesca, Gabriella, Genevieve, Madeleine, Penelope, Vivienne
Brothers: Alexander, Augustin, Elijah, Gabriel, Maximilian, Raphael, Sebastian, Theodore, Valentino
Middle Name Ideas:
Seraphina Alexis
Seraphina Grace
Seraphina Maeve
Seraphina Rose
Seraphina Wren
As a Middle Name:
Audrey Seraphina
Daphne Seraphina
Harper Seraphina
Lily Seraphina
Violet Seraphina
I think Seraphina and Evangeline would be beautiful for sisters since both have a nod toward a biblical association. What do you think? Perfect or too much?
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