Comments for the name Aphra

Comments for APHRA:

Aphra Behn (1640-1689) was one of the first English women to earn a living through her writing.

-- turabiannights  9/5/2006

I do not have any clue about the origin of the name but I do know there was a Aphra Behn in England some centuries ago. She is the first professional female author we know of. Here are some links with the information we have on her:
http://feminism.eserver.org/memoir-of-aphra-behn.txt

This one is particularly interesting as it offers some variants of the name, which might help to trace the etymology.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphra_Behn

-- VickyG057  12/29/2007

Aphra became a name used occasionally by 17th century English Puritans and their descendants. It was coined when they misread Biblical verse Micah 1-10 in the King James Bible (“in the house of Aphrah roll thyself in the dust”). Many Puritan parents took Aphrah to be a personal name, rather than a word meaning “dust.”

From http://www.geocities.com/edgarbook/names/az/aphra.html

-- Kate  4/1/2008

Key: Meaning/History Usage Pronunciation Famous Bearer Personal Impression Other

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