Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Sabrina

The name Sabrina comes from a character in Celtic mythology. According to legend, Sabrina was the daughter of King Locrinus, king of the Britons, and his German mistress Princess Estrildis. Already engaged to Princess Gwendolyn of Cornwall, Locrinus eventually left his queen to be with his beloved mistress and their daughter (Sabrina). Outraged by the humiliation, Queen Gwendolyn raised an army to defeat Locrinus during which time he was killed in battle. Gwendolyn would have her own son with Locrinus, Maden, the rightful heir, assume the throne, and on orders she had Estrildis and Sabrina drowned in the River Severn so no one would forget Locrinus’ unforgivable indiscretion. It is unclear if Sabrina received her name from the river that took her life, or if she gave her name to the river in which she would dwell for eternity. In either case, Sabrina is the Latinized form of Habren, which was the original Welsh name for the River Severn (the longest river in Great Britain). Sabrina rides her chariot in the river with salmon swimming alongside her, and the river is said to reflect her many moods. The name Sabrina was primarily popularized as a given name by Samuel A. Taylor's play “Sabrina Fair” (1953) and the movie adaptation that followed in 1954. Sabrina Fair cites a 1634 song penned by the literary giant John Milton which reads in part: “Sabrina fair, / Listen where thou art sitting / Under the glassy, cool, / translucent wave, / In twisted braids of lilies knitting / The loose train of thy amber-dropping hair; / Listen for dear honour's sake, / Goddess of the silver lake, / Listen and save.”

All About the Baby Name – Sabrina

Personality

OF THE GIRL NAME SABRINA

The number one personality is a leader - strong and competitive. They are willing to initiate action and take risks. One personalities work hard toward their endeavors and have the ability to apply their creative and innovative thinking skills with strong determination. They believe in their ability to succeed and are too stubborn to be hindered by obstacles. Ones meet obstacles head-on with such mental vigor and energy that you better step aside. They resent taking orders, so don't try telling them what to do either. This is an intensely active personality, but they are also known as starters rather than finishers. They have a propensity to become bored and will move quickly to the next project if not properly challenged.  They are the ones to think up and put into action new and brilliant ideas, but they are not the ones to stick around and manage them. This personality has an enthusiastic and pioneering spirit. They are distinctly original.

Popularity

OF THE GIRL NAME SABRINA

Not surprisingly, the name Sabrina made her debut on the American popularity charts in 1953 and within one year would advance a whopping 550 positions on the charts. What happened? The release of the famous comedy-romance movie “Sabrina” in 1954 starring the ever-graceful Audrey Hepburn. In the movie, Sabrina is the daughter of a chauffeur employed by a wealthy family whose sons she grows up with. As a young lady, Sabrina leaves for Paris, returns a sophisticated, charming, spell-binding woman with an irresistible zest for life, and thus catches the eye of both brothers who had never noticed her before. Needless to say, this Cinderella story hit a chord with American women and the name Sabrina charged up the charts. Sabrina would get another little pop-culture push in usage 20 years later when the wildly successful crime-stopping series, Charlie’s Angels, debuted in 1976. Sabrina was considered the “smart one” of the Angels. Sabrina finally made the Top 100 list of most commonly used girl names for the first time in 1977, but her popularity would be a brief two-year stay. Sabrina would once again hit the Top 100 list between the years 1993 and 2000, again bolstered by the WB teenager series “Sabrina the Teenage Witch.” Every once in a while, a character comes a long and reminds American parents of a lesser-known name. Sabrina has had three revivals from such pop-culture moments. Along with her significance in Celtic mythology, Sabrina is a multifaceted name choice. It’s off-beat, interesting and a little bit magical.

Quick Facts

ON SABRINA

GENDER:

Girl

ORIGIN:

Celtic

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

3

RANKING POPULARITY:

281

PRONUNCIATION:

sa-BREE-nah

SIMPLE MEANING:

River Severn

Characteristics

OF SABRINA

Independent

Individualistic

Ambitious

Strong-willed

Inventive

Successful

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Sabrina

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME SABRINA

Sabrina is the protagonist of Samuel A. Taylor’s 1953 Broadway comedy, Sabrina Fair, but is most notably remembered in the persona of the inimitable Audrey Hepburn in the 1954 movie, “Sabrina”. (It was remade in 1995 with Julia Ormond in the title role.) Sabrina is the daughter of the chauffeur to a wealthy Long Island family who harbors a schoolgirl crush on the younger, play-boy son of the family. She goes to Paris for an education and a bit of “finishing”, and returns home a sophisticated young lady who catches the eye of this son. The older brother, however, who has a monied interest in seeing his brother wed to an heiress, decides to “woo” Sabrina away from the young brother. Of course, the inevitable happens, they fall in love, and when it is found that Sabrina’s father has cornered a fortune in the stock market, the Cinderella quality of this little fluff piece is complete. Light it may be, but Ms. Hepburn personifies the delightful main character in a charmingly unforgettable fashion.

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME SABRINA

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Sabrina


Popular Songs

ON SABRINA

Sabrina
a song by Inkubus Sukkubus

Famous People

NAMED SABRINA

Sabrina Le Beauf (actress)

Children of Famous People

NAMED SABRINA

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Sabrina

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME SABRINA

We cannot find any historically significant people with the first name Sabrina