The child's name given to him at birth will influence his entire future life. It is not for nothing that in history there are happy and unlucky names; they are associated with some events, natural phenomena, religious holidays, etc. It is believed that it is impossible to give the name of a deceased child to a newly born one, since he will be unhappy, having taken upon himself all the misfortunes of his deceased brother.
Where to look for a name for a girl
When Christianity was introduced in Rus', and people began to plan their lives according to the Orthodox calendar, children began to be named in honor of Orthodox saints. It is quite rightly believed that by receiving the name of a saint, a person receives both a close spiritual connection and the patronage of this saint. He may even receive the power and grace of a holy man. Therefore, when choosing names for children, you should think carefully, because you are also choosing a caring guardian angel and spiritual patron for him for life.
Orthodox Mesyatslov will help you choose a name by date of birth
There are many more male names in Orthodox calendars than female ones. But some male names also have feminine counterparts.
Every day of the year preserves the memory of some canonized saint; some days can boast of a dozen birthday people. In addition, the names of some saints are repeated several times in the Orthodox calendar, and therefore the names are suitable for children born at different times of the year.
Church calendar or Monthly calendar
Many modern parents turn to the Monthly Book or Saints. The church calendar can provide invaluable assistance in this, since it contains Orthodox, Old Church Slavonic, Hebrew and Greek names of very different origins. Some names are anachronisms today, they have long gone out of use, and cause a slight smile when they are mentioned. But many names are in great demand today.
Orthodox calendar for 2016 Of course, almost all parents want to choose a rare and unusual name, and the Saints can help them choose a name by month.
Choosing an Orthodox name for a girl
Parents are especially careful when choosing names for girls. I want a beautiful name to emphasize her tenderness, grace and elegance.
Women's names always have some sacred magical meaning. Their meaning is intended to bestow tenderness or strength, wisdom or patience, fertility or love. For example, well-known female names - Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia (Wisdom) personify the main Christian virtues. Women's names also praised some character traits necessary for a future housewife - hard work, patience and determination, humility and complaisance.
The Orthodox name is given at baptism But, be that as it may, you should choose a name with all responsibility, think about its sound and compliance with the patronymic and surname. And also pay attention to the time of year in which the child was born.
It is well known that at different times of the year children (especially girls) are born with completely opposite characters. Women's names are designed not only to emphasize the individuality of the owner, but also to help in life.
The relationship between name and season
In winter, children are born who are hardy, have good health, are firm and tough. They have a stern, unyielding character that helps them achieve their plans. But this character often harms them in their personal lives. Firmness and inflexibility interfere with trusting relationships with loved ones. Children born in winter usually do not tolerate interference in their affairs and do not listen to anyone's advice. They are self-confident, active, purposeful and go straight towards their intended goal.
Choosing a name for a girl in winter Girls born in winter have a purely masculine character, which helps them achieve success in their careers and business, but prevents them from organizing their personal lives. Therefore, a woman’s name should be gentle, melodic, softening the harsh winter cold.
Spring is a capricious, changeable time of year. And girls in the spring are born capricious, selfish, squeamish, and physically weak. They are conservative and find it difficult to adapt to change. But if they think they are right, then nothing will convince them. They are very stubborn, proud, indecisive and cautious, love flattery and have a certain narcissism. It is not easy for a girl born in spring to find a husband because she is frightened by any changes in her lifestyle.
What name to choose for a girl in spring And at the same time, “spring” children know how to adapt to any life situations. Therefore, a woman’s name should be firm and tough.
In summer, generous, cheerful and optimistic children are born. They do not waste time on trifles, do not be greedy, and at the same time are extremely hardworking and diligent. Summer children are emotional, quick-tempered, temperamental, and impressionable. Among other things, they are the kindest and fairest people.
What names are suitable for girls born in summer? Girls born in summer are proud and courageous, persistent and purposeful. They will passionately love their husband and carefully take care of their children. Therefore, neutral names are best suited for them, designed to slightly restrain their noble nature.
Autumn is a time of reflection. And children born in autumn are characterized by such character traits as wisdom, leisurelyness, prudence and accuracy. Such a child will never act at random; he will carefully weigh the pros and cons, but will act diplomatically, without offending anyone. Loyalty and submission will help them find happiness in marriage.
What to name a girl in the fall Girls born in autumn are calm and thoughtful, balanced, and in any situation they are guided, first of all, by common sense. These girls should be given names filled with sacred meaning.
That is, when choosing a girl’s name, you must consider it month by month in order to help shape a woman’s destiny.
Names for girls born in January
January is the harshest month of the year. A girl named one of these names will spend her entire life in happiness and prosperity without any problems or obstacles, and will achieve her goals without putting in too much work. She will make a good wife and mother and will be happily married all her life.
Icon of Saint Tatiana CLAUDIA, AGLAYA, AGAFYA, IRAIDA, ANISYA, TATYANA, APPOLINARY.
Names for girls born in February
Very often these women do not have an attractive appearance. But they have an excellent character: active, sociable, cheerful and hardworking. They are extremely fond of dressing up, changing their appearance, keeping up with fashion and spending a lot of money on it. They are not attracted to a calm and measured life; they need constant communication, fun and music. In most cases, these women marry several times, and usually the second marriage is successful.
Name Maria for a girl RIMMA, CAROLINA, KRISTINA, CHRISTIANA, INNA, EMMA, MARIA, ANNA, PAVLA.
Names for girls born in March
These girls and women are envious and extremely curious. They are rarely lucky in their married life, but people with a high position in society who have achieved success also marry them. In the family, the woman will play the main role.
Name Marianna - meaning REGINA, RUFINA, MARGARETA, ANTONINA, ULYANA, VASILISA, KIRA, VALERIYA, NIKA, MARIANNA, DOMNA, AGAFYA.
Names for girls born in April
A woman who lives in love and for love. Very often she marries a jealous man, but can establish a wonderful relationship with him. Sometimes in old age she changes for the worse: she becomes a malicious gossip, embittered at the entire world around her.
Name Daria - meaning ALEXANDRINA, DARIA, PRASKOVYA, PELAGIA, SVETLANA, THEODOSIA, LYDIA, LYUDMILA, SUZANNA, SUZANNA, MATRONA.
Names for girls born in May
This woman will passionately adore her husband all her life. Although she has intelligence, beauty, and education, she talks too much, and inappropriately. People often envy her, so they can harm her, especially in matters of the heart.
The meaning of the name Elizabeth ELIZAVETA, GLAFIRA, ZOYA, PELAGEIA, EVDOKIA, EUFROSYNE, MUSE, LUKERIA, GLICERIA, FAINA, NAINA, JULIA, YULIANNA, TAMARA.
Names for girls born in June
This is an emotional woman, surrounded by friends and fans. But because of his temper, he often conflicts with others and quickly breaks off relationships.
The meaning of the name Elena ELENA, THEODOSIA, THEODORA, CAROLINA, ADELAIDE, IDA, ADA, AKULINA, THEKLA, KALERIYA, ALEVTINA.
Names for girls born in July
For this woman, love is a game. This is a passionate and temperamental nature, ardent and tender at the same time. Men like her, and she herself likes to flirt. Bright and beautiful, she is in a whirlpool of relationships, love and fun.
The name Olga 0 is one of the most popular AGRIPPINA, IRINA, SARAH, RUTH, OLGA, RIMMA, ELLA, YULIANNA, SOSIPATRA.
Names for girls born in August
This woman is generous and patient, impartial and self-possessed. Her kind and sympathetic character attracts everyone around her. It’s not easy for her to choose a husband because of the large number of fans. But if her first marriage breaks up, she will become distrustful and cautious.
Name Ekaterina - meaning MAGDALENE, EKATERINE, MILENA, ZABAVA, CHRISTINA, PRASKOVYA, SERAPHIM, NONNA.
Names for girls born in September
A very optimistic and cheerful person. Even troubles and disappointments will not diminish her optimism. She is flirtatious and sociable, and over time she becomes the most devoted mother.
Icon of Saint Sophia VASSA, ANFISA, ANITA, MARFA, RUFINA, LYUDMILA, VERA, NADEZhDA, LOVE, SOFIA.
Names for girls born in October
This is a woman with the happiest character and the happiest destiny. She will live a long life happily married with a loving husband and children.
About the name Veronica EUPHROSYNE, CONCORDIA, SOSIPATRA, VERONICA, IRAIDA, PELAGEIA, TAISIA, EULAMPIA, IONA.
Names for girls born in November
This woman will spend her whole life quarreling with her husband because of her love for clothes and the company of strangers. A playful lifestyle is the norm for her.
Icon of Saint Claudius GLYKERYA, GLYKERYA, LUKERYA, KAPITOLINA, PRASKOVYA, ELENA, NELLY, KLAUDIA.
Names for girls born in December
This woman has an attractive appearance and an open, noble character. Doesn't like to submit to someone else's will and be subordinate.
A singer named Varvara AUGUSTA, VARVARA, TATYANA, TATIANA, ANFISA, LARISA, MARINA, ZOYA, ZINOVEYA.
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Most often, the day of remembrance of a saint is the day of his earthly death, i.e. transition to eternity, meeting with God, to join Whom the ascetic sought.
How to determine the name day
In the church calendar there are several days of commemoration of the same saint, and many saints also bear the same name. Therefore, it is necessary to find in the church calendar the day of remembrance of the saint of the same name as you, closest to your birthday. These will be your name days, and the saint whose memory is remembered on this day will be your heavenly patron. If he has other days of memory, then for you these dates will become “small name days”.
If we want to name the child strictly according to church tradition, then it will be the name of a saint, whose memory is celebrated on the 8th day after the birth of the child. Cm.
When determining a name day, the date of canonization of a saint does not matter, because it only records a fait accompli. In addition, as a rule, it is performed dozens of years after the saint’s transition to the heavenly abodes.
The name received by a person at baptism not only remains unchanged throughout his life (the only exception is the case of accepting monasticism), but also remains after death and passes with him into eternity. In prayers for the deceased, he also remembers their names given in baptism.
Name day and Angel Day
Sometimes name days are called Angel Day. This name day name recalls the fact that in the old days heavenly patrons were sometimes called the Angels of their earthly namesakes; It is incorrect, however, to confuse saints with angels. Name day is the day of remembrance of the saint after whom a person is named, and Angel Day is the day of baptism, when a person is assigned by God. Each baptized person has his own Guardian Angel, but we do not know his name.
Veneration and imitation of one's patron saint
The saint wrote about the prayerful help of the saints: “The saints, in the Holy Spirit, see our lives and our deeds. They know our sorrows and hear our fervent prayers... The saints do not forget us and pray for us... They also see the suffering of people on earth. The Lord gave them such great grace that they embrace the whole world with love. They see and know how exhausted we are from sorrows, how our souls have dried up, how despondency has bound them, and, without ceasing, they intercede for us before God.”
Veneration of a saint consists not only of praying to him, but also of imitating his feat and his faith. “Let your life be according to your name,” said the monk. After all, the saint whose name a person bears is not just his patron and prayer book, he is also a role model.
But how can we imitate our saint, how can we at least follow his example in some way? To do this you need:
- First, know about his life and exploits. Without this, we cannot truly love our saint.
- Secondly, we need to turn to them in prayer more often, know the troparion for him and always remember that we have a protector and helper in heaven.
- Thirdly, of course, we must always think about how we could follow the example of our saint in one case or another.
According to the nature of Christian deeds, saints are traditionally divided into faces (categories): prophets, apostles, saints, martyrs, confessors, saints, righteous, holy fools, saints, etc. (see).
The person named confessor or martyr, may well fearlessly profess his faith, act as a Christian always and in everything, without looking back at dangers or inconveniences, in everything he pleases, first of all, God, and not people, regardless of ridicule, threats and even oppression.
Those named after saints, can try to imitate them, exposing errors and vices, spreading the light of Orthodoxy, helping their neighbors find the path to salvation both by word and by their own example.
Reverend(i.e. monks) can be imitated in detachment, independence from worldly pleasures, maintaining purity of thoughts, feelings and actions.
Imitate holy fool- means, first of all, to humble yourself, cultivate selflessness, and not get carried away by acquiring earthly riches. The continuation should be the education of will and patience, the ability to endure the difficulties of life, the fight against pride and vanity. You also need the habit of meekly enduring all insults, but at the same time not being shy about exposing obvious vices, telling the truth to everyone who needs admonition.
Names in honor of Angels
A person can also be named in honor of (Michael, Gabriel, etc.). People named after the archangels celebrate their name day on November 21 (November 8, Old Style), on the day of the Celebration of the Council of the Archangel Michael and other ethereal Heavenly Powers.
If the name is not in the calendar
If the name you were given is not in the calendar, then at baptism the name that is closest in sound is chosen. For example, Dina - Evdokia, Lilia - Leah, Angelica - Angelina, Zhanna - Ioanna, Milana - Militsa. According to tradition, Alice receives the name Alexandra in baptism, in honor of St. passion-bearer Alexandra Feodorovna Romanova, who before accepting Orthodoxy bore the name Alice. Some names in the church tradition have a different sound, for example, Svetlana is Photinia (from the Greek photos - light), and Victoria is Nike, both names mean “victory” in Latin and Greek.
Only the names given at baptism are written.
How to celebrate a name day
Orthodox Christians on their name days visit the temple and, having prepared in advance, visit the Holy Mysteries of Christ.
The days of “small name days” are not so solemn for the birthday person, but it is advisable to visit the temple on this day.
After communion, you need to keep yourself from all fuss so as not to lose your festive joy. In the evening, you can invite your loved ones for a meal. It should be remembered that if the name day falls on a fast day, then the holiday treat should be fast. During Lent, name days that occur on a weekday are moved to the next Saturday or Sunday.
Cm. Natalya Sukhinina
What to give for name day
In celebration of the memory of the patron saint, the best gift will be something that contributes to his spiritual growth: an icon, a vessel for prayer, beautiful candles for prayer, books, audio and video CDs with spiritual content.
Prayer to your saint
We should remember the saint in whose honor we receive a name not only on name day. There is a prayer to the saint in our daily morning and evening prayers, and we can also turn to him at any time and in any need. The simplest prayer to the saint:
Pray to God for me, holy servant of God (name), as I diligently resort to you, a quick helper and prayer book for my soul.
Your saint also needs to know.
In addition to the icons of the Savior - the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Mother of God, it is advisable to have your own saint. It may happen that you have some rare name, and the icon of your heavenly patron will be difficult to find. In this case, you can buy an icon of All Saints, which symbolically depicts all the saints glorified by the Orthodox Church.
Some .
Patristic sayings about name days
“We began to choose names not according to God. In God's way, this is how it should be. Choose a name according to the calendar: either on what day the child will be born, or on what day he will be baptized, or within three days after baptism. Here the matter will be without any human considerations, but as God wills, for birthdays are in the hands of God.
saint
History and symbolism of the name day celebration
Like many other religious traditions, the celebration of name days was forgotten in Soviet times, moreover, in the 20-30s of the twentieth century it was subject to official persecution. True, it turned out to be difficult to eradicate age-old folk habits: they still congratulate the birthday boy on his birthday, and if the hero of the occasion is very young, they sing a song: “how on ... the name day we baked a loaf.” Meanwhile, name day is a special holiday, which could be called a day of spiritual birth, since it is associated primarily with the sacrament of Baptism and with the names that our heavenly patrons bear.
The tradition of celebrating name days has been known in Rus' since the 17th century. Usually on the eve of the holiday, the birthday boy’s family brewed beer and baked birthday rolls, pies and loaves. On the day of the holiday itself, the birthday boy and his family went to church for mass, ordered a prayer service for health, lit candles and venerated the icon with the face of his heavenly patron. During the day, birthday pies were distributed to friends and relatives, and often the filling and size of the pie had a special meaning, determined by the nature of the relationship between the birthday person and his loved ones. In the evening a festive dinner was held.
The royal name day (Name Day), which was considered a public holiday, was celebrated especially magnificently. On this day, boyars and courtiers came to the royal court to present gifts and take part in a festive feast, during which they sang for many years. Sometimes the king himself distributed the pies. Huge birthday rolls were distributed to the people. Later, other traditions appeared: military parades, fireworks, illuminations, shields with imperial monograms.
After the revolution, a serious and systematic ideological struggle began with name days: the rite of baptism was recognized as counter-revolutionary, and they tried to replace it with “Oktyabriny” and “Zvezdiny”. A ritual was developed in detail, in which the newborn was congratulated in strict sequence by an October child, a pioneer, a Komsomol member, a communist, “honorary parents”, sometimes the baby was symbolically enrolled in a trade union, etc. The fight against “remnants” reached anecdotal extremes: for example, in the 20s, censorship banned K. Chukovsky’s “Tsokotukha Fly” for “name day propaganda.”
Traditionally, name days are attributed to the day of remembrance of the named (namesake) saint, which immediately follows the birthday, although there is also a tradition of celebrating name days on the day of memory of the most famous named saint, for example, St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, Apostle Peter, St. Alexander Nevsky, etc. d. In the past, name days were considered a more important holiday than the day of “physical” birth, in addition, in many cases these holidays practically coincided, since traditionally a child was baptized on the eighth day after birth: the eighth day is a symbol of the Kingdom of Heaven. , to which the baptized person joins, while the number seven is an ancient symbolic number denoting the created earthly world. Baptismal names were chosen according to the church calendar (saints). According to the old custom, the choice of name was limited to the names of the saints whose memory was celebrated on the day of baptism. Later (especially in urban society) they moved away from this strict custom and began to choose names based on personal taste and other considerations - in honor of relatives, for example.
Name days turn us to one of our hypostases - to our personal name.
Perhaps to the ancient motto “Know thyself” we should add: “Know thy name.” Of course, a name primarily serves to distinguish people. In the past, a name could be a social sign, indicating a place in society - now, perhaps, only monastic (monastic) names stand out sharply from the Russian name book. But there is also a now almost forgotten, mystical meaning of the name.
In ancient times, people attached much more importance to a name than it does now. The name was considered a significant part of a person. The content of the name was correlated with the inner meaning of a person; it was, as it were, put inside him. The name controlled fate (“a good name is a good sign”). A well-chosen name became a source of strength and prosperity. Naming was considered a high act of creation, guessing the human essence, invoking grace.
In primitive society, a name was treated as a part of the body, like eyes, teeth, etc. The unity of the soul and the name seemed undeniable; moreover, it was sometimes believed that as many names as there were, there were as many souls, so in some tribes before to kill an enemy, it was supposed to find out his name in order to use him in his native tribe. Often names were hidden to prevent weapons from being given to the enemy. Harm and trouble were expected from mistreatment of the name. In some tribes it was strictly forbidden to pronounce (taboo) the name of the leader. In others, the custom was practiced of assigning new names to elders, which gave new strength. It was believed that a sick child was given strength by the name of his father, who was shouted in his ear or even called by his father’s (mother’s) name, believing that part of the parents’ vital energy would help defeat the disease. If the child cried especially a lot, it means the name was chosen incorrectly. Different nationalities have long maintained the tradition of naming “deceptive”, false names: the true name was not pronounced in the hope that death and evil spirits, perhaps, would not find the baby. There was another version of protective names - unattractive, ugly, frightening names (for example, Nekras, Nelyuba and even Dead), which averted adversity and misfortune.
In Ancient Egypt, the personal name was carefully guarded. The Egyptians had a “small” name, known to everyone, and a “big” one, which was considered true: it was kept secret and pronounced only during important rituals. The names of the pharaohs were especially respected - in the texts they were highlighted with a special cartouche. The Egyptians treated the names of the dead with great respect - mishandling them caused irreparable harm to the otherworldly existence. The name and its bearer were one whole: a typical Egyptian myth is that the god Ra hid his name, but the goddess Isis managed to find him out by opening his chest - the name literally ended up inside the body!
For a long time, a change in name corresponded to a change in human essence. New names were given to adolescents upon initiation, that is, upon joining adult members of the community. In China, there are still children's "milk" names, which are abandoned with maturity. In ancient Greece, newly-minted priests, renouncing their old names, carved them on metal tablets and drowned them in the sea. Echoes of these ideas can be seen in the Christian tradition of giving monastic names, when someone who has taken monastic vows leaves the world and his worldly name.
Among many peoples, the names of pagan gods and spirits were taboo. It was especially dangerous to call evil spirits (“cursing”): in this way one could call out the “evil force.” The ancient Jews did not dare to name the Name of God: Yahweh (in the Old Testament - this is the “unspeakable Name”, a sacred tetragram, which can be translated as “I am who am.” According to the Bible, the act of naming often becomes God’s work: the Lord gave names to Abraham, Sarah , Isaac, Ishmael, Solomon, renamed Jacob Israel. The special religious gift of the Jewish people was manifested in a variety of names, which are called theophoric - they contain God’s “ineffable Name”: thus, through his personal name, a person connected with God.
Christianity, as the highest religious experience of mankind, takes personal names very seriously. A person’s name reflects the mystery of a unique, precious personality; it presupposes personal communication with God. During the sacrament of Baptism, the Christian Church, accepting a new soul into its bosom, binds it through a personal name with the name of God. As Fr. wrote. Sergius Bulgakov, “human naming and name-incarnation exists in the image and likeness of divine incarnation and naming... every person is an embodied word, a realized name, for the Lord himself is the incarnate Name and Word.”
The purpose of Christians is considered to be holiness. By naming a baby the name of a canonized saint, the Church tries to guide him on the true path: after all, this name has already been “realized” in life as a saint. The one who bears the holy name always keeps within himself the exalting image of his heavenly patron, “helper”, “prayer book”. On the other hand, the commonality of names unites Christians into one body of the Church, into one “chosen people.”
Reverence for the names of the Savior and the Mother of God has long been expressed in the fact that in the Orthodox tradition it is not customary to give names in memory of the Mother of God and Christ. Previously, the name of the Mother of God was even distinguished by a different emphasis - Mary, while other holy wives had the name Maria (Marya). The rare monastic (schema) name Jesus was assigned in memory not of Jesus Christ, but of the righteous Joshua.
The Russian Christian name book has evolved over centuries. The first extensive layer of Russian names arose in the pre-Christian era. The reasons for the emergence of a particular name could be very different: in addition to religious motives, the circumstances of birth, appearance, character, etc. played a role. Later, after the Baptism of Rus', these names, sometimes difficult to distinguish from nicknames, coexisted with Christian calendar names ( up to the 17th century). Even priests sometimes had nicknames. It happened that one person could have as many as three personal names: a “nickname” name and two baptismal names (one obvious, the other hidden, known only to the confessor). When the Christian name book completely replaced the pre-Christian “nickname” names, they did not leave us forever, moving into another class of names - in surnames (for example, Nekrasov, Zhdanov, Naydenov). Some pre-Christian names of canonized Russian saints subsequently became calendar ones (for example, Yaroslav, Vyacheslav, Vladimir).
With the adoption of Christianity, Rus' was enriched with the names of the entire human civilization: with the Byzantine calendar, Greek, Jewish, Roman and other names came to us. Sometimes images of more ancient religions and cultures were hidden under the Christian name. Over time, these names became Russified, so much so that the Hebrew names themselves became Russian - Ivan and Marya. At the same time, one should keep in mind the lofty thought of Fr. Pavel Florensky: “there are no names, neither Jewish, nor Greek, nor Latin, nor Russian - there are only universal names, the common heritage of mankind.”
The post-revolutionary history of Russian names developed dramatically: a massive campaign of “de-Christianization” of the name book was carried out. The revolutionary obscurantism of some sections of society, combined with tough government policies, was aimed at restructuring, and therefore at renaming the world. Along with the renaming of the country, its cities and streets, the people were renamed. “Red calendars” were compiled, new, “revolutionary” names were invented, many of which now sound simply like curiosities (for example, Malentro, i.e. Marx, Lenin, Trotsky; Dazdraperma, i.e. Long live May Day, etc. .). The process of revolutionary name-making, characteristic of ideological revolutions in general (it was known in France at the end of the 18th century, and in Republican Spain, and in the countries of the former “socialist camp”) did not last long in Soviet Russia, about a decade (20-30s ). Soon these names became part of history - here it is appropriate to recall another thought about. Pavel Florensky: “you can’t think of names,” in the sense that they are “the most stable fact of culture and the most important of its foundations.”
The change in the Russian name also went along the line of borrowing from other cultures - Western European (for example, Albert, Victoria, Zhanna) and common Slavic Christian names (for example, Stanislav, Bronislava), names from Greek and Roman mythology and history (for example, Aurelius, Aphrodite , Venus), etc. Over time, Russian society again returned to calendar names, but “de-Christianization” and a break in tradition led to an extraordinary impoverishment of the modern naming book, which now consists of only a few dozen names (the general property of “mass cultures” also played a role - the desire for averaging, standardization ).
Hieromonk Macarius (Markish):
Since ancient times, the custom has been established to give a newly accepted member of the Church the name of a saint. Thus, a special, new connection arises between earth and Heaven, between a person living in this world and one of those who have worthily walked their life’s path, whose holiness the Church has witnessed and glorified with its collective wisdom. Therefore, every Orthodox Christian must remember the saint in whose honor he is named, know the basic facts of his life, and, if possible, remember at least some elements of the service in his honor.
But the same name, especially the common ones (Peter, Nicholas, Mary, Helen), was borne by many saints of different times and peoples; therefore, we have to find out in honor of which saint who bore this name the baby will be named. This can be done using a detailed church calendar, which contains an alphabetical list of saints revered by our Church with the dates of celebration of their memory. The choice is made taking into account the date of birth or baptism of the child, the circumstances of the saints’ life feats, family traditions, and your personal sympathies.
In addition, many famous saints have several days of remembrance throughout the year: this could be the day of death, the day of the discovery or transfer of relics, the day of glorification - canonization. You have to choose which of these days will become the holiday (name day, name day) of your child. It is often called Angel Day. In fact, we ask the Lord to give the newly baptized his Guardian Angel; but this Angel must under no circumstances be confused with the saint after whom the child is named.
Sometimes some difficulties arise when naming a name. There are many Orthodox saints known in history, but not included in our calendars. Among them are the saints of Western Europe, who lived and were glorified even before the fall of Rome from Orthodoxy (until 1054, the Roman Church was not severed from Orthodoxy, and we also recognize the saints revered in it by that time as saints), whose names were acquired from us popularity in recent decades (Victoria, Edward, etc.), but are sometimes listed as “non-Orthodox”. There are also the opposite situations, when the usual Slavic name does not belong to any of the Orthodox saints (for example, Stanislav). Finally, there are also frequent formal misunderstandings related to the spelling of the name (Elena - Alena, Ksenia - Oksana, John - Ivan) or its sound in different languages (in Slavic - Svetlana and Zlata, in Greek - Photinia and Chrysa).
If necessary, the child can be given a baptismal name different from the one recorded on the birth certificate, choosing it, for example, according to consonance (Stanislav - Stakhy, Carolina - Kaleria, Elina - Elena). There is nothing flawed in this: among the Serbs, for example, almost everyone has one name in everyday life and another in baptism. Let us note that in the Russian Church, unlike some other Orthodox Churches, the beloved name Maria is never given in honor of the Most Holy Theotokos, but only in honor of other saints who bore this name. You should also know that since 2000, our Church has canonized many of our countrymen and fellow citizens - new martyrs and confessors of the 20th century - and calls on believers to name their children in their honor and memory.
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When choosing a name for a newborn, it is important to find out is it in the calendar, what names can be used at baptism. It is also very useful to figure out what the name you choose means (translated into Russian), look at the full list of diminutive (short) forms of the name, find out its place in p. name popularity rating. This is exactly what this guide was created for.“A Thousand Names” (look through the trial copy). If you find this book useful, in 2-3 days you will be able to hold it in your hands! (more information). |
Birthday calendar. Women's names.Male names
January February March/April - June /July - September /October - December
On this page you can choose a name for baptism (godfather or baptismal name).
Here are the most famous and "popular" saints.
Some saints have several memorial days a year (2-3), which means there are several name days!
January. Names in alphabetical order:
Amelia, Amalia (see Emilia)
Anisya, Anisiya, godname: Anisiya
Apollinaria, godname: Apollinaria
Holy Venerable Apollinaria of Egypt, January 5/18
Notes: 1) St. Apollinaria had the gift of healing and miracles; carried out monastic service in a male form under the name Dorotheus, only after her death it turned out that she was a woman; 2) the name Apollinaria is sometimes chosen as a godfather for the name Polina
Apraxia (see Eupraxia)
Bogdana, Bozena (see Fedora)
Vasilisa, Vasilina, godname: Vasilisa
Holy Martyr Basilissa of Egypt, January 8/21
Dana (see Fedora)
D o mnika, Domnika, Dominika, godname: Domnika
Holy Venerable Domnica of Constantinople, January 8/21
Evgenia, godname: Evgenia
Eupraxia, Apraxia, godname: Eupraxia
Holy Venerable Eupraxia (Euphrasia) of Constantinople, Tavenskaya, Elder, January 12/25
Claudia, godname: Claudia
Leonia, Leonida, Leontina, godname: Leonilla
Holy Martyr Leonilla (Neonilla) of Langonia, January 16/29
Note: the name Leonilla can also be recommended as a godfather for the “non-calendar” name Eleanor (by “consonance”)
Maria, godname: Maria
Holy Venerable Mary of Radonezh (mother of St. Sergius of Radonezh), this saint has two days of remembrance per year: January 18/31, as well as September 28/October 11 (respectively, two birthday days)
Melania, Melania, godname: Melania
Notes: 1) the Russian folk forms of the name, now out of use, were Malaniya and Malanya, 2) the names Melania and Melanya should not be confused with the names Milena and Milana, which have a different origin.
Nastasya (see Anastasia)
Nina, godname: Nina
Saint Equal to the Apostles Nina, enlightener of Georgia, January 14/27
Ruslana, godmother's Orthodox name: absent
Note: In the Orthodox calendar there is no name Ruslan; a suitable name for baptism may well be the name Leonilla, since its meaning is “lion”, “lioness” (Greek)
Holy Martyr Leonilla (Neonilla) of Langonia, January 16/29 (optional)
Tatiana, godmother Orthodox name: Tatiana
Holy Martyr Tatiana of Rome, January 12/25
Ulyana (see Yuliana)
Fedora, Theodora (and also Bogdana, Dana, Bozhena, Dora), godname: Theodora
Saint Theodora of Caesarea, December 30 / January 12
- Saint Theodora of Constantinople (Constantinople), December 30 / January 12
Note: The name Theodora is not popular, but it may well serve as a godfather for such passport names as Bogdana, Dana, Bozhena (according to the general meaning of the name). The name Dora can also be considered as a passport name (as a truncation of the name Theodore)
Emilia, Emma (and also Amelia, Amalia), godname: Emilia
Holy Venerable Emilia of Caesarea (mother of Basil the Great), January 1/14
Note: The names Amalia and Amelia have a different origin, from the ancient German amal, amala - “hardworking”, “diligent”, “tireless”, but due to the similarity of sound it is good to use the godname Emilia for them
Holy Righteous Juliana Lazarevskaya, Murom, January 2/15
- Holy Martyr Juliana of Nicomedia, December 21 / January 3
Holy Blessed Princess Juliana of Vyazemskaya, martyr; this saint has two memorial days a year: December 21 / January 3, as well as June 2 / 15 (respectively, two birthday days)
January. Names by calendar days:
(dates according to new style)
3. Yuliana + Yulianna + Ulyana
4. Anastasia + Nastasya
6. Evgenia; Claudia
10. Agafia + Agafya + Agata
12. Anisya + Anisiya; Fedora + Theodora (and also Bogdana, Dana, Bozena, Dora)
13. Melania + Melania
14. Emilia + Emma (and Amelia, Amalia)
15. Yuliana + Yulianna + Ulyana
18. Apollinaria + Polina
21. Vasilisa + Vasilina; Domnika + Domni ka + Domini ka
25. Eupraxia + Apraxia; Tatiana
27. Nina
29. Leonia + Leonida + Leontina + Leonilla (and also Eleanor, Ruslana)
31. Maria + Marya (and also Marietta, Marietta)
February. Names in alphabetical order:
(the first date is according to the church calendar, the second is according to the new style)
Agathia, Agafya, Agata, godname: Agathia
Holy Martyr Agathia of Sicily, Palermo, February 5/18
Agnia, Agnessa, Inessa, godname: Agnia
Aksinya (see Ksenia)
Anna, godname: Anna
Holy Blessed Princess Anna of Novgorod (otherwise - Venerable Anna of Novgorod), February 10/23
- holy righteous Anna the Prophetess (daughter of Phanuel), February 3/16, as well as August 28/September 10
Afanasia, godname: Afanasia
Bogdana, Bozena (see Fedora)
Valentina, godname: Valentina
Holy Martyr Valentina of Caesarea (otherwise - Valentina of Palestine), February 10/23
Note: In recent years, the names Vitalin and Vitaly have been increasingly registered. Obviously, these are analogues of the male name Vitaly, which comes from the Latin vitalis (that is, “full of life,” “living,” “giving life”). Valentina could be a good godname for Vitalina and Vitalia - both in general meaning and in sound
Galina, godname: Galina
Holy Righteous Galina, February 10/23
Dana (see Fedora)
Dorothea, Dora, godname: Dorothea
Holy Martyr Dorothea of Caesarea (from Cappadocia), February 6/19
Eudoxia, godname: Eudoxia
Eusevia, godname: Eusevia
Holy Venerable Eusevia of Milas (after baptism she received the name Xenia), January 24 / February 6
Zoya, godname: Zoya
Holy Venerable Zoe of Bethlehem, February 13/26
Inessa (see Agnia)
Inna, godname: Inna
Holy Martyr Inna Novodunsky, Slav, January 20 / February 2, and also June 20 / July 3
Note: the patron saint is the martyr Inna; in Russia the names Inna, Rimma and Pinna are considered feminine, but in the calendar they are contained in the section “Male names”
Holy Martyr Christina of Caesarea, February 6/19
Ksenia, Aksinya, Oksana, godname: Ksenia
Holy Venerable Xenia of Milas, January 24 / February 6
- Saint Blessed Xenia of Petersburg, January 24 / February 6, as well as May 24 / June 6
Maria, godname: Maria
Holy Venerable Mary of Constantinople, January 26 / February 8
- Holy Martyr Mary of Asia, February 6/19
Note: Possible passport forms of the name could also be Marya and Marietta (Marietta)
Martha, Martha, Martina, godname: Martha
Holy Martyr Martha of Asia, February 6/19
Oksana (see Ksenia)
Pelagia, godname: Pelagia
Polina, godname: Pavla
Holy Martyr Paula of Caesarea, February 10/23
Note: sometimes the name Apollinaria is taken as a godname for Polina (see January)
Rimma, godname: Rimma
Holy Martyr Rimma Novodunsky, Slav, January 20 / February 2, also June 20 / July 3
Note: the patron saint is the martyr Rimma; in Russia the names Inna, Rimma and Pinna are considered feminine, but in the calendar they are contained in the section “Male names”
Svetlana, godname: Svetlana (Photinia)
Holy Venerable Photinia (Svetlana) of Palestine (5th century), February 13/26
Holy Righteous Theodora, Queen of Greece (who restored the veneration of icons) (867 AD), February 11/24
Christina (see Christina)
Felicia, godname: Felicata
Feoktista, godname: Feoktista
February. Names by calendar days:
(dates according to new style)
2. Inna; Rimma
3. Agnia + Agnessa + Inessa
6. Eusebia; Ksenia + Aksinya + Oksana
7. Felicia
8. Maria + Marya (and also Marietta, Marietta)
12. Pelagia
13. Athanasia; Eudoxia; Theoktista
16. Anna
18. Agafia + Agafya + Agata
19. Dorothea + Dora;Christina + Christina; Maria + Marya (and also Marietta, Marietta); Martha + Martha + Martina
23. Anna; Valentina (and also Vitalina, Vitalia); Galina; Pauline
24. Fedora + Theodora (and also Bogdan, Dana, Bozena, Dora)
26. Zoya; Svetlana
March. Names in alphabetical order:
(the first date is according to the church calendar, the second is according to the new style)
Avdotya (see Evdokia)
Alena (see Elena)
Anastasia, Nastasya, godname: Anastasia
Holy Venerable Anastasia Patricia (Constantinople, Alexandria), March 10/23
Antonina, Antonia, Antonida, godname: Antonina
Holy Martyr Antonina of Nicaea, March 1/14, and also June 13/26
Bogdana, Bozena (see Fedora)
Victoria (see Nika)
Galina, godname: Galina
Holy Martyr Galina of Corinth, March 10/23, and also April 16/29
Dana (see Fedora)
Evdokia, Avdotya, godname: Evdokia
Holy Martyr Evdokia Iliopolskaya, March 1/14
Elena, Alena (also Elina, Nelly, Lina, Ilona), godname: Elena
Holy Equal to the Apostles Queen Helen of Constantinople, March 6/19, as well as May 21/June 3
Notes: 1) the godname Elena is also a good option (by consonance) for such passport names as Eleanor, Elvira, Ella, 2) sometimes the church Neonilla / Leonilla is used as a godfather for the name Nellie (see January, the name of Ruslana); Neonilla from Latin neon, Greek neos - “young, new”).
Ilona (see Elena)
Iraida (see Raisa)
Kira, godname: Kira
Christina, Christina, godname: Christina
Holy Martyr Christina of Persia, March 13/26
Lina (see Elena)
Marianna, Maryana, godname: Mariamne
Nastasya (see Anastasia)
Nellie (see Elena)
Nika, Victoria, godname: Nika
Holy Martyr Nike of Corinth, March 10/23, and also April 16/29
Note: in Ancient Greece, Nike was the goddess of victory, among the Romans she corresponded to Victoria.
Raisa, Iraida, godname: Raisa, Iraida
Holy Martyr Raisa of Alexandria, Antinopolis (the same saint is known under the name Iraida of Alexandria, Antinopolis), respectively, in her honor a girl can be called Raisa or Iraida, this saint has three days of remembrance - March 5/18; September 5/18; September 23 / October 6
Ulyana (see Yuliana)
Fedora, Theodora, godname: Theodora
Note: The name Theodora is not popular, but it may well serve as a godfather for such passport names as Bogdana, Dana, Bozhena (according to the general meaning of the name). The name Dora can also be considered as a passport name (as a truncation of the name Theodore)
Christina (see Christina)
Elina (see Elena)
Juliana, Yulianna, Ulyana, godname: Juliana
Holy Martyr Juliana of Ptolemais, March 4/17, and also August 17/30
March. Names by calendar days:
(dates according to new style)
2. Marianna + Maryana
13. Kira
14. Antonina + Antonia + Antonida; Evdokia + Avdotya
17. Yuliana + Yulianna + Ulyana
18. Raisa + Iraida
19. Elena + Alena (Elina, Nelly, Lina, Ilona, as well as Eleanor, Elvira, Ella)
23. Anastasia + Nastasya; Galina; Nika + Victoria; Fedora + Theodora (and also Bogdan, Dana , Bozena Detailed information about each of the names given
you will find in the book by Evgeny Vasiliev “A Thousand Names”
The information in this birthday calendar is given in the following format:
all possible passport forms of the name (for entry into the Birth Certificate) - godfather name (for entry into the Baptism Certificate) - full name of the holy saint - the saint’s day of remembrance (with the first date indicated according to the church calendar, and the second date is according to our modern calendar); the day of remembrance of the saint is the day of celebration of the name day; some saints have several days of remembrance throughout the year (2-3), which means there are several name days!
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Key words: Name of the godfather. Baptismal name. Baptismal name. January. February. March. April. May. June. July. August. September. October. November. December. Baptize a child, a girl. Christening. Church name. Name by consonance. Name with meaning. Russian Orthodox Church. Russian saints. Belarusian saints. Calendar name. Non-calendar name. Canonical name. Non-canonical. Name according to the church calendar. Russian name. Christian name. For girl. Women's names. For a newborn. Naming. Naming. Church calendar. According to the new style. According to the old style. Monthsword. Orthodox. Saints. Name according to the calendar. Names according to the calendar. Name day. Name day. When to celebrate. Birthday calendar. Day Angel. Saint's Memorial Day. Popular, famous saints. Holy. Holy saints. Martyrs. Righteous women. Righteous. Reverends. The faithful. Blessed princess. Hieromartyr. |
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