English, from a Late Greek male name Euphēmios representing "fair speech". More popular in Scotland than the rest of the UK.

Many alternative spellings are recorded. Only those in Scottish documents have been included here. It is also, along with the pet name Effie, one of the many Anglicized forms of the Gaelic Oighrig.

A correspondent [JC] has a Victorian family photograph from Scotland where Euphemia is noted as "Fame". We have therefore included this as an authentic pet name.

A correspondent [GCB] has noted the use of the pet name Phinie for the "In Memorian" newspaper record for a woman in Banffshire, Scotland.  On her birth record her given name was Euphemia but when she married it was under the name Josephine.  We believe the pet name referred to the latter forename, as a variant of Phine, but have recorded it under both.