Sidony; Sidonie

Gender: Feminine
Origin: Latin
Meaning: “from Sidon.”
Eng (SIDE-e-NEE; sih-DOH-nee); Fre (SEE-doh-NEE); Germ (Pronunciation)

The name is derived from the Late Latin male name, Sidonius, which means, “from Sidon.” Sidon is the Latin name for what is now Saida, in Lebanon.

Sidony was quite common in Medieval England, its popularity was inspired by the Shroud of Turin, when the meaning of the name was misunderstood to be from the Greek word, sindon (linen). The name fell out of usage by the Renaissance. Sidonie was revived in 18th-century England, and has occasionally been in out of usage in both the UK and the United States.

In fact, the name was fairly prevalent throughout Medieval Europe, being found among royalty and the nobility alike.

The name is found in the French Medieval Prose, Pontus & Sidonie.

In French, Sidonie is technically a prenom épicène (a gender neutral name), however, it is rarely given to males and has been far more common on females since Medieval times. As of 2009, Sidonie was the 438th most popular female name in France.

Sidonie is also used in German-speaking countries (strictly feminine).

The male form of Sidonius was borne by a 5th-century bishop and saint.

The name was also borne by the legendary Sidonia von Borcke (1548–1620), a Pomeranian noblewoman who was tried and executed for witchcraft, she became the much the subject in English literature and art during the 19th-century.

Other forms of the name include:

• Sidonija (Croatian/Slovene)
• Sidonie (Czech/French/German)
• Zdeňka (Czech)
• Sidonia (Dutch/Czech/German/Latin/Polish)
• Sidony (English)
• Szidónia (Hungarian)
• Sydonia (Polish/Sorbian)
• Sidónia (Slovak)