 Alethea Howard, Countess of Arundel, 17th century portrait by Peter Paul Rubens | |
| Pronunciation | [alɛ̌ːtʰeː.a] (Greek pronunciation: [aˈliθça]) ə-LEE-thee-ə, AL-ə-THEE-ə or ə-LAY-thee-ə |
|---|---|
| Gender | Female |
| Language(s) | Greek |
| Origin | |
| Meaning | truth |
| Other names | |
| Related names | Alethia, Aletheia, Thea, Theia, Tia, Thia, Verity |
Alethea is an English-language female first name derived from the Ancient Greek feminine noun ἀλήθεια, alḗtheia, 'truth'. Aletheia was the personification of truth in Greek philosophy. Alethea was not in use as a name prior to the 1500s, and likely originated when Puritans started using it as a virtue name.[1][2][3]
- ^ Hanks, Patrick; Hardcastle, Kate; Hodges, Flavia (2006). Oxford Dictionary of First Names. Oxford University Press. p. 8. ISBN 0-19-861060-2.
- ^ Withycombe, E.G. (1971). The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names. p. 12.
- ^ Yonge, Ch M. (1863). History of Christian names. London : Parker. pp. 276–277.