Just a century ago, it was very easy to name a newborn child. On his birthday, mom and dad simply looked at the calendar and chose one of several options (sometimes there was only one). Today, not everyone follows church traditions, and many of the names of saints are outdated. And most often, parents give the baby a name based on fashion, wanting to stand out, or simply because they liked what their friends named the baby. Nevertheless, many people in our country baptize children; some take this Sacrament seriously, while others perceive it as a formality. What name is the baby given? And what to do if the worldly name is not in the calendar.
Features of choosing an Orthodox name
The saint, after whom the newborn was named, conveys to the betrothed his qualities, some character traits and influences the fate of the baby. He intercedes for the child before the Lord throughout his entire life. The day of his memory is considered the name day for the child.
Rules for choosing a name according to the Saints
Often the name recorded on the birth certificate does not match the name given at baptism. This is largely due to ignorance of the Orthodox calendar. According to church canons, a newborn is named according to the Saints as follows:
- on the eighth day after birth, according to Memorial Day on this date;
- if a suitable option is not available, look at the memorial days of the saints on the fortieth day;
- It is allowed to give the child the name of a patron whom his family honors.
There is a child’s name in the calendar, but with a different sound: how to baptize Artyom, Svetlana, Denis and others
If we do not find the name of a child in the calendar, this does not always mean that he is not there. Often there are simply archaic forms that are unusual for us today. There are many examples:
- Julia - Julia.
- Ulyana - Juliana.
- Ivan, Jan - John.
- Yana, Zhanna - Joanna.
- Angela - Angelina.
- Stepan - Stefan.
- Denis - Dionysius.
- Artyom - Artemy.
- Yuri - Georgy.
- Angela - Angelina.
- Sergey - Sergey.
- Lily - Leah.
- Aksinya - Ksenia.
- Ilona, Nelly - Elena.
- Egor, Yuri - Georgy.
Some worldly names are not in the calendar, but there are names with a similar sound (archaic), an example of this is Julia and Julia
Some Slavic names have the same meaning as church names (usually Greek). An example of this is Svetlana. A girl with this name can be christened Photinia (from the Greek “light”).
Some names have their own church analogues, but not based on sound, but in meaning (for example, Svetlana - Fotinia)
A similar pair of names is Bogdan and Theodotus (Greek: “given by God”).
Some modern parents have a tendency to initially name their baby with a name with an ancient sound: not Danil, but Daniil, not Natalya, but Natalia. If they want this, the priest will not mind, and the calendar will only help them make a choice.
However, some priests believe that naming a baby this name should be the sincere desire of Orthodox parents, and not just a way to amaze others and emphasize their originality.
List of female and male Orthodox names
Christian names that are given to a child at baptism can be not only Russian. Greek, Hebrew and Latin versions are also recorded in the Saints. For boys, as a rule, there are more of them than for girls, and therefore babies can be called adapted analogues. Since the name is directly related to the date of birth, it is better to choose it by month.
January
Those born in the first winter month have a reserved but decisive character. January children grow up to be purposeful individuals with whom it is quite difficult to find mutual understanding.
Women's:
- Anastasia – reborn, immortal;
- Evgeniya – high-born;
- Anfisa – blooming;
- Natalya – born on Christmas, dear;
- Tatyana is the founder.
Men's:
- Vasily - royal;
- Semyon - heard by God;
- Pavel – junior;
- Ilya is a believer;
- Konstantin is permanent.
Popular female names
February
For children born in February, feelings and emotions prevail over reason. Excessive impulsiveness prevents them from becoming leaders, but such people know how to defend their interests.
A difficult character can be corrected with the right name. It is better if it sounds soft, without growling vowels.
Author's advice
Women's:
- Sophia - wise;
- Oksana – hospitable;
- Zoya – cheerful;
- Anna - God's mercy;
- Svetlana is bright.
Men's:
- Stepan – crowned;
- Anton - entering into battle;
- Maxim - majestic;
- Nicholas - conqueror of nations;
- Nikita is the winner.
March
Those born at the beginning of spring are usually gentle, timid, and easy to offend. They do not like conflicts, and therefore they try in every possible way to smooth out rough edges and find a compromise. A correctly chosen name can strengthen their faith and help them on their life path.
Women's:
- Nina – brave;
- Victoria is the winner;
- Olga is great;
- Maria – stubborn;
- Ekaterina is domineering.
Men's:
- Roman is from Rome;
- Michael - like the Lord;
- Gregory - not sleeping;
- Ivan - God's mercy;
- Valery is strong.
Popular male names
April
April children grow up to be stubborn dictators. They are distinguished by a purposeful, unbending disposition, and know how to achieve their goals. On their path in life, they are lucky; thanks to their cheerfulness, they always have friends nearby.
Women's:
- Claudia – persistent;
- Polina – liberated;
- Lydia – musical;
- Miroslava - illustrious;
- Galina is calm.
Men's:
- Sergey - highly respected;
- Vadim is a debater;
- Leonidas - like a lion;
- Zakhar - memorable to God;
- Kirill is the ruler.
May
May people are very optimistic, have a cheerful disposition, but are intolerant and do not know how to find compromises. A person born at the end of spring is distinguished by a sharp mind, principled, and stubborn.
Excessive pride can only be neutralized by a soft, pleasant-to-hear name.
Women's:
- Violetta - violet;
- Julia – fluffy;
- Taisiya – wise;
- Olesya is a protector;
- Alina is noble.
Men's:
- Kuzma - order;
- Leonty - lion;
- Savva is a sage;
- Vitaly – vital;
- Fedor - given by the Lord.
June
Children born at the beginning of summer are timid and cautious, sometimes being too naive. They have a vulnerable, romantic nature, and therefore they are not always able to withstand life’s failures.
Women's:
- Euphrosyne - joyful;
- Diana – divine;
- Faith is true;
- Pavla – small, youngest;
- Angelica is angelic.
Men's:
- Igor – militant;
- Timothy - worshiper of the Lord;
- Egor is a farmer;
- Nazar - originally from Nazareth;
- Denis – belonging to Dionysus.
July
July people are sensitive and have well-developed empathy. They know how to win someone over, hear their interlocutor, and understand him on a spiritual level. Creative personalities are often born in July.
Women's:
- Alexandra is a protector;
- Varvara is a foreigner;
- Marina – lover of the sea;
- Veronica – pure;
- Margarita is a pearl.
Men's:
- Anatoly - sunrise;
- Arseny – courageous;
- Samson - sunny;
- Philip – lover of horses;
- Stanislav - who became famous.
Names common among Orthodox Christians
August
At the end of summer, people are born who strive for leadership and love personal freedom. They have a strong intellect, are sociable, and make friends easily. A selfish disposition helps them achieve their goals and always be in the center of attention.
August babies should be given a name that will highlight their inner self.
Women's:
- Maria – stubborn;
- Elena – chosen one;
- Daria - given by the Lord;
- Anna – gracious;
- Iraida is the hero’s daughter.
Men's:
- Trofim is the breadwinner;
- Alexander – defender;
- German - close, dear;
- Matvey - God's gift;
- Valentin is strong.
September
Children born in early autumn are usually hardworking and learn to achieve their goals with age. They do not like conflicts, but they are capable of losing their temper without a reason. To smooth out their irritability, the name should be simple.
Women's:
- Anna – gracious;
- Natalya – dear;
- Ksenia – hospitable;
- Lyudmila - sweetheart;
- Irina is peace-loving.
Men's:
- Andrey - brave;
- Gennady – well-born;
- Yakov - following the trail;
- Athanasius - immortal;
- Ivan is God's reward.
October
October people are realists who like to double-check everything. They do not take anyone's word for it, preferring to verify everything from their own experience. Their character is calm, pragmatic, balanced.
Women's:
- Euphrosyne - joyful;
- Polina – liberated;
- Karina is impeccable;
- Elizabeth – worshiper of the Lord;
- Miroslava - illustrious.
Men's:
- Alexey – protective;
- Oleg – sacred;
- Vladimir - owner of the world;
- Peter is a stone;
- Benjamin is the beloved son.
November
People born in November have a difficult character. From childhood they grow up selfish and have a decisive but tough disposition. They easily achieve their goals, they can be tough and go over their heads.
Thanks to the name, you can soften tyrannical tempers and smooth out negative character traits.
Women's:
- Glyceria – sweet;
- Anastasia - resurrection;
- Agafya – chaste;
- Alena - beloved;
- Matryona is noble.
Men's:
- Zinovy – vital force;
- Victor is the winner;
- Eugene – high-born;
- Irakli - glorious;
- Gregory is awake.
The meaning of some female and male names
December
December children are born with explosive temperaments. They can flare up instantly, but their aggression does not last long. Such people know how to forgive, do not hold grudges, and always say what they think.
Women's:
- Tamara – regal;
- Ekaterina – pure;
- Yana – blooming;
- Faith is true;
- Angelina is an angel.
Men's:
- Yuri is a farmer;
- Valery – cheerful;
- Vsevolod – owner;
- Gabriel - God's power;
- Plato is broad-shouldered.
By naming a newborn, we determine his future fate. A correctly chosen name can help a child on his life’s path, while an unsuccessful one will cause constant difficulties.
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If there is no name in the calendar: Alisa, Miroslava, Karina and other names
Many parents today strive to name their baby in a fashionable, original, and resonant name. And it often turns out that there is no such name in the calendar (and there is no similar-sounding archaic form). In this case, the priest suggests choosing a name that simply sounds similar or has a similar meaning. Traditionally established correspondences can be found in official Orthodox online publications (for example, azbuka.ru, pravoslavie.ru, https://beleparh.ru/). You can also go to a temple or church shop and ask for help there. Here are some traditional correspondences for worldly names that are not in the Monthly Word:
- Alice - she is baptized under the name Alexandra, Vasilisa . Moreover, most often a girl with this name still receives the name Alexandra - in honor of the holy passion-bearer Alexandra Feodorovna Romanova, who before converting to Orthodoxy bore the name Alice.
A girl named Alice can be christened, for example, as Alexandra or Vasilisa
Angelina - she is baptized under the name Angelina. Alina - she is baptized under the name Alexandra or Inna. Arina - she is baptized under the name Ekaterina, Marina. Diana - Digna, Anna. Vitalina - Victoria. Eve. The situation with this name is very interesting. Although it is directly related to Christianity (Eve was the name of the first woman on earth), until recently a girl with that name would have been christened Evgenia or Evdokia (Eve was not included in the Orthodox calendar). But about 18 years ago, the Russian Orthodox Church decided to canonize the abbess of the Penza monastery, Abbess Eva (she was shot by the NKVD in 1937). And today, little Eva’s parents can christen their daughter with her own worldly name.
Although the name Eve is directly related to Christianity, a saint with that name appeared only about 20 years ago
Yesenia - Ksenia, Yesia. Dana - Daria, you can also choose a name based on the common meaning - Theodosius (“God given”). Yana - Ioanna. Karina - Cleopatra, Kira. Milana - Melania, Militsa, Anna. Miroslava - Marina, Maria, Irina. A very beautiful gentle name has an interesting history. It is not in the Orthodox calendar, but the patroness of girls and women with this name is the Virgin Miroslava of Constantinople. According to historical data, her husband was persecuted for his Christian faith, he was tortured, and then sent into exile with his wife and children. There he died, and traces of his relatives were lost. Meanwhile, in the Orthodox Slavic countries closest to us, girls are baptized precisely under the name of Miroslava (in Bulgaria, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Slovakia), and the days of memory of this saint are celebrated here (May 5 - in Bulgaria and Ukraine, April 5 - in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, 29 March - additionally in Slovakia).
The Russian calendar does not contain the name Miroslav, but in other Slavic countries girls are baptized with this name
Olesya - Alexandra, Vasilisa. Polina - Apollinaria, Pelageya. Timur - Timofey. Ruslan - Roman, Rostislav. However, such a child can also be christened Leonid, based on the meaning of the names: both of them mean “like a lion” (“like a lion”). Ratmir - Roman. Stanislav - Svyatoslav.
Angel Day: how to define and celebrate
In the old days, God's saints were figuratively called the angels of their earthly “wards” namesakes. Therefore, name days are often colloquially called the day of an angel. However, Orthodox Christians should not associate holy people with genuine angels - heavenly disembodied spirits who serve the Lord. It happens that a person is baptized in honor of one of them (Archangels Michael, Gabriel, etc.). But, in any case, the heavenly patron (whose name we bear) and the personal guardian angel (whose name we do not know) are two separate sacred personalities.
To determine your name day, you need to find out when the Church celebrates the memory of the saint whose name you bear. One and the same righteous person may have several memorable dates in a year (days of death, glorification, discovery of relics, etc.). Angel's Day is usually considered the first such date following the Christian's birthday. The rest can be perceived as “small name days.” Christians named after the archangels celebrate their name day on November 21 - the day of the Council of the Archangel Michael and other ethereal Heavenly Powers.
On the day of the angel, a Christian should come to the liturgy in the temple, confess and receive communion. We need to prepare in advance for these Church Sacraments. Then you can have a festive meal with family and friends. However, it is necessary to behave godly in order to maintain the grace received. If the name day falls on a fast day, then the treat should be appropriate. During Lent, the celebration of name days that fall on a weekday is moved to the next weekend. On “small name days” it is advisable to at least attend a church service.
The heavenly patron must be remembered not only on name days, but every day in prayers. It is advisable to have his icon, to know the short life of this righteous man, and the main prayers to him. Here is the simplest prayer to the heavenly patron:
“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.”
How to celebrate name days
Name day is a holiday that is important for the person himself. On this day he remembers his saint and thanks him for his protection. Attends church, communicates with the priest.
On this holiday, a friendly feast without drinking, a walk in nature, or an evening family meal would be appropriate. Be sure to visit the temple on your name day and light a candle for your saint. It is also good to go to confession and communion on the next Sunday, close to the name day.
