Apphia is a biblical Greek name from the New Testament, traditionally interpreted as fruitful or beloved.
Apphia holds the rare distinction of being a New Testament name known from a single verse and almost nowhere else. In Paul's letter to Philemon — the shortest book in the Bible, just 25 verses — she appears in the opening greeting: "To Philemon our dear friend and co-worker, to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier." Early Christian commentators identified her as Philemon's wife, making her a figure in one of the earliest known Christian households in Colossae, in present-day Turkey.
The name itself is believed to be Phrygian in origin — Phrygia being the ancient Anatolian culture whose language and customs influenced early Greek civilization. Some scholars connect it to a Phrygian root meaning "increasing" or "fruitful," while others suggest it was a local pet name with no direct Greek or Latin equivalent. This makes Apphia one of the few surviving Phrygian personal names, a linguistic fossil from a culture that otherwise left little written record.
Centuries of Christian tradition elevated Apphia to sainthood: she is venerated as Saint Apphia by both Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches, her feast day commemorated on November 22. She is considered a martyr, said to have died alongside Philemon and Archippus. As a given name today, Apphia remains extraordinarily rare, making it a profound choice for families who value deep biblical antiquity, a name that connects its bearer to the very first generation of Christians.
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