Lydia

Woman from Lydia

Lydia means ‘woman from Lydia’, pointing to an ancient region of western Asia Minor. Its meaning is a place of origin, rather than a quality such as beauty or nobility. In Acts, Lydia is a woman from Thyatira who sells purple cloth and welcomes Paul and his companions. That gives the name a distinct biblical connection; purple belongs to her story, not to the name’s literal meaning. The soft opening and open ending give Lydia an elegant feel, while the d adds definition. English pronunciation begins with the vowel in ‘lid’; German commonly begins with a long ü sound. For a family using both languages, that vowel difference is more noticeable than the unchanged spelling.

Etymology: From Greek Λυδία, a name referring to Lydia, an ancient region of western Asia Minor.