Serapion

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A masculine personal name of Greek origin, borne by several early Christian saints and bishops of the Church
2. A male first name of Greek origin, famously carried by a number of early churchmen and saints in antiquity
3. Masculine given name of Greek derivation, traditionally associated with several bishops and holy figures of the early Church

Etymology: The name comes from Serapis, a god that Ptolemaic rulers of Egypt created by blending the Egyptian deities Osiris and Apis with Greek features, so that Greek-speaking Alexandrians could worship him. A personal name formed from that god's name, with the Greek "-ion" ending, would have marked someone as a devotee of Serapis or as belonging to his circle. The name passed to Christian Egypt, where it was borne by Serapion of Thmuis, a bishop and close ally of Athanasius of Alexandria, who wrote on the Holy Spirit. Other people with the name appear across the Greek world. The English noun is most likely a borrowing of this name, though the exact route into English is uncertain.