Tiffany

Where the name comes from

• Greek, through Latin and Old French
  Manifestation of God
  Greek theophania, 'manifestation of God,' from theos 'god' and phainein 'to show, bring to light.' It became Latin Theophania, then Old French Tiphanie or Tifinie, then English Tiffany.
  Theophania was another name for the Christian feast of Epiphany on January 6. The word was a name for the feast before it was a girl's name. In medieval England, Tiffany was given to girls born or baptized on or near that day. The French form Tiphanie is recorded about 825 years ago. The Latin form Theophania appears in French records about 880 years ago.
• English (surname)
  From the medieval women's name Tiffany
  Middle English Tiffan(ia), Teffan(ia), from Old French Tiphaine
  Tiffany is also an English family name from Yorkshire. It came from the women's name, which is unusual, since most English surnames come from men's names. Tiffin is a northern English form of the surname.

Tiffany across traditions

• Christian (Western). The name honors Epiphany, the feast on January 6 that marks Christ being revealed to the world. Older records show the name being chosen for children born near that holiday.
• Christian (Eastern Orthodox and Byzantine). The Greek-speaking church called the January 6 feast Theophaneia, meaning God's manifestation. Theophano was a common name among Byzantine noblewomen, and several princesses had it.
• French. The French form Tiphaine is well recorded from the Middle Ages through the 1500s. In medieval France the feast itself was sometimes called la Tiphaïne.
• American. In the US the name is closely tied to Tiffany & Co., the New York jeweler founded in 1837 by Charles Lewis Tiffany, and to Tiffany glass. Many people credit the 1961 film Breakfast at Tiffany's for the name's comeback. That link is popular belief, and the name's roots are much older. Popularity: Tiffany peaked in the 1980s, when it was the #11 girls' name of the decade in the US.

Who carried it

• Theophanu (Theophano) (Died 991, about 1,035 years ago): A Byzantine princess who married the German emperor Otto II and became Holy Roman Empress. A medieval record lists her name as Theophanu.
• Tiphaine Raguenel (Tiphaïne la Fée) (About 650 years ago): Wife of the French military leader Bertrand du Guesclin. She was nicknamed 'the Fairy' because people said she could predict her husband's lucky and unlucky days.
• Charles Lewis Tiffany (1812–1902): American jeweler who cofounded the New York store that became Tiffany & Co. He carried Tiffany as a family name.
• Louis Comfort Tiffany (Born 1848): Son of Charles Lewis Tiffany. An Art Nouveau designer known for the colorful glass he called Favrile.

Forms in other languages

Tiffani, Tiffanie, Tiffiny, Tiphaine, Tiphanie, Theophania, Theophano, Theophanu, Tyffyn, Tiffin

Tiffany in letter-number systems

Hebrew, Greek and other traditions gave every letter a number, and read meaning into the totals. These are the counts, computed; the readings are inside the Innerverse.