The name of the river Severn was recorded as early as the 2nd century in the Latinized form Sabrina.

Its Arabic equivalent is صابرينا ṣābrīnā, resulting from a folk etymology from the root ‏ص ب ر‎ "patience", although there is another variant سابرينا sābrīnā, its use mostly used in persian language and non_Arabs According to a legend recounted by Geoffrey of Monmouth in the 12th century, Habren was the daughter of a king named Locrinus (also known as Locrin or Locrine in English) by his mistress, the Germanic princess Estrildis.

Locrinus ruled England after the death of his father, Brutus of Troy, the legendary second founder of Britain.

The use of Sabrina was very rare as a given name in Britain prior to the 19th century, with the singular exception of Sabrina Sidney (1757–1843), an English foundling girl, named for her orphanage overlooking River Severn.

It was boosted by the popularity of the comic book character Sabrina the Teenage Witch, who debuted in 1962.