All Orthodox names. Selection of Russian Orthodox male and female names according to the calendar
Loving and responsible parents, expecting the birth of a child, try to provide for everything - they select a doctor to manage the pregnancy, renovate the children's room, buy a crib.
But one of the most important and exciting moments while waiting for the appearance of your dearest person in the world is choosing a name for your child. When a daughter is born, parents, going through the most tender, most beautiful names for girls, they try to choose the most suitable name for their daughter.
The name will accompany a person throughout his life. It will make an imprint on his fate; how exactly the child is named can shape his entire future. Often close relatives and grandparents are involved in choosing a name.
The name is chosen according to a variety of criteria, the child is called:
There are common cases when a child chooses what name he will have. For example, responding to a certain name with movements and jolts. Sometimes a child’s name is chosen based on the time of year.
During times Ancient Rus', the choice of the child’s name was influenced by certain events - Thunderstorm, Zarya, the attitude of the parents towards the child - Zabava, Lyubava, Zhdana, Otrada, as well as the desire of the parents to endow their daughter with certain qualities - Bogumila, Lyudmila, Dobroslava, Vsemila, Radosveta.
Even after the spread of Christianity in Rus', for a long time, for a long time, along with the church name he received at baptism, relatives also gave a second name - Old Church Slavonic, to the child, believing that it would help protect the baby from troubles and illnesses.
There was a custom to protect often sick or weak children - parents carried a child out of the hut with sentences that we would take away a child with a certain name, and bring another into the house, who was called by a different, new name.
And so that devilry completely lost interest in the baby, in this case they tried to choose a dissonant name - Nesmeyan, Nezhdan, or called him a name denoting some animal - Swan, Pike, Magpie.
Choosing a name according to the church calendar
With the advent of Orthodoxy in Rus', the name of the child was chosen by the clergyman, naming the child in accordance with the church calendar. The church successfully fought against pagan rituals and soon church names almost replaced names of pagan origin.
At the sacrament of baptism, the child began to be named, in accordance with the Saints. Saints, or Prayer Book, is a church calendar Orthodox holidays and days of honoring Orthodox saints. By giving the child the name of the saint whose day is close to the baby’s birthday, parents expect that he will protect the child and help him throughout his life.
Using the Prayer Book, parents tried to select not only the most significant names according to the saint, but also to choose the most beautiful names for girls. The day on which the saint after whom the girl is named is honored will become the day of her Angel. Angel's Day does not always coincide with the baby's birthday. The Saints contain over 1,700 names of various saints, both female and male.
When choosing a name for a baby from the Prayer Book, you need to remember:
A double name is given to a girl if she has already been named by a name that is not used in the Saints, unless this name is Orthodox. Or if the priest advises choosing for the girl the name of the saint who is most suitable for her by birth.
Beautiful Orthodox names for girls
List of the most used, most beautiful names for girls according to the Orthodox calendar:
- January– Ulyana, Anastasia, Susanna, Eva, Elizaveta, Evgenia, Christina, Maria, Antonina, Irina, Polina, Melania, Tatyana.
- February– Rimma, Avdotya, Anna, Inna, Maria, Ekaterina, Evdokia, Marfa, Ustinya, Olga, Pelageya, Juliana, Agafya, Vasilisa, Svetlana, Sophia, Vera.
- March– Maria, Olga, Avdotya, Elizaveta, Anna, Serafima, Ustinya, Marianna, Ulyana, Olga, Nadezhda, Raisa, Elena, Natalya Maria, Galina.
- April– Sofia, Tatyana, Alexandra, Daria, Maria, Galina, Praskovya, Vasilisa, Ulyana, Aglaya, Anastasia, Ulyana, Lydia, Anna, Evdokia, Anastasia, Arina, Svetlana, Antonina, Irina.
- May– Joanna, Martha, Antonina, Alexandra, Pelageya, Elizabeth, Anastasia, Taisiya, Lukerya, Anna, Maria, Ustinya, Arina, Tatyana, Pelageya, Irina, Avdotya.
- June– Alena, Anastasia, Elena, Pelageya, Sofia, Maria, Antonina, Vera, Ulyana, Ustinya, Sofia, Tatyana, Anna.
- July– Anastasia, Pelageya, Ioanna, Maria, Anna, Avdotya, Olga, Elizaveta, Ulyana, Evdokia, Tatyana, Valentina, Alena.
- August– Maria, Lydia, Anna, Elena, Raisa, Antonina, Avdotya, Irina, Aksinya, Tatyana, Ulyana.
- September– Love, Raisa, Elizaveta, Tatyana, Seraphima, Natalya, Anna, Marfa, Thekla, Avdotya, Maria, Sophia, Evdokia, Vera.
- October– Irina, Sophia, Arina, Raisa, Ustinya, Pelageya, Thekla, Taisiya, Maria, Elizaveta, Ulyana, Antonina.
- November– Elizaveta, Anna, Pelageya, Agafya, Elena, Ulyana, Evdokia, Elizaveta, Anna, Serafima, Ustinya.
- December– Varvara, Ekaterina, Polina, Maria, Fyokla, Lukerya, Ulyana, Anastasia, Anisya, Vera, Anna, Sophia, Elizaveta.
Choosing a name according to the horoscope
IN modern world Choosing a name based on the horoscope is popular. At the same time, the girl is given a name based on certain character traits inherent in the representatives of the sign under which she was born.
Astrologers believe that a correctly chosen name will not only help a person in the future and determine his destiny, but will also influence the development of his personality, strengthening the owner of the name with the strong qualities of his zodiac sign.
Also, in astrology, great emphasis is placed on the karmic connection of a person with his ancestors, therefore Astrologers recommend naming the baby after a relative with great caution. In their opinion, a child should not be given the name of a relative with an unfortunate fate or with difficult character traits, even if the parents really like the name.
Numerologists, followers of the doctrine of the influence of numbers on universal energy and all manifestations of life, advise when choosing a name to rely on the connection of the name with the karmic number.
Girl names for zodiac signs
To each zodiac sign each has its own characteristics and temperament.
Before assigning a name to a specific horoscope sign, astrologers draw up a star map, calculating the interaction of names with celestial bodies, their influence, tracking the fates of famous personalities who, according to astrologers, could become famous and influential precisely thanks to the successful combination of a name with their sign. horoscope.
For example, in astrology it is believed that stubborn, rebellious and ambitious Aries are suitable for names that can enhance their individuality and at the same time smooth out some of the roughness of their character - Alexandra, Alisa, Lyudmila, Alena, Anastasia, Bozhena, Alla, Valeria, Nadezhda, Varvara, Svetlana, Olesya.
Persistent, hardworking and thrifty Taurus are suitable for names that can add romanticism to the character of Taurus, daydreaming, such as Beata, Angela, Tatyana, Marina, Nadezhda, Tamara. Names such as Evgenia, Olga, Oksana, Larisa, Margarita, Regina, Elena will add stability and self-confidence to Geminis.
Dreamy Cancers who strive to hide in their cozy shell will be given a bright personality by names such as Natalya, Selena, Lilia, Yana, Victoria, Elizaveta, Diana, Olesya.
For fiery, purposeful Lionesses, names are suitable that fully satisfy their royal needs and at the same time add romanticism and softness to them, these are Ekaterina, Elena, Alexandra, Zhanna, Snezhana, Lyubov, Laura, Rose, Maria. For practical, very sensitive Virgos, names such as Augusta, Diana, Christina, Natalya, Elizaveta, Inessa, Irina, Christina are suitable.
Suitable names for harmonious, gentle and wise Libra are Yana, Natalya, Elena, Svetlana, Veronica, Olesya, Zlata, Violetta, Pelageya, Lilia, Polina. For astute Scorpios who know how to correctly calculate, the names Alevtina, Elizaveta, Alexandra, Agatha, Vasilina, Raisa, Rosa, Diana, Zinaida, Ekaterina, Lyudmila, Lyubov, Svetlana will add self-confidence.
For proud and extraordinary Sagittarius, names such as– Vera, Irina, Oksana, Vladislava, Alisa, Sofia, Stella, Tatyana, Marina, Tamara, Zhanna. For restrained, thrifty and purposeful Capricorns, the names Alexandra, Ksenia, Vanda, Varvara, Maria, Ekaterina, Olga, Natalya, Rimma, Daria, Irina, Dina, Inga, Inna will add tenderness and optimism.
For sociable Aquarians with a sense of humor, suitable names are Anna, Valentina, Galina, Lyudmila, Evelina, Alina, Anita, Svetlana, Larisa. For discerning and faithful Pisces, names such as Raisa, Marta, Natalya, Elena, Rimma, Polina, Maria, Tamara, Nina, Irina, Eva, Lily, Vera are suitable.
Choosing a name by season
When choosing the most desired, most beautiful names for girls from all the available female names in the world, you can use not only the Prayer Book or a horoscope, but the name can be selected according to the time of year the baby was born. The relationship between man and nature is not only enormous, man himself is part of nature.
And of course, the person’s name should also fit into this circle and be in harmony with those natural phenomena that accompanied the birth of the baby. Especially if a girl is born - the same future Mother as Mother Nature.
Girls born in the harsh winter months have perseverance and determination. Cold and short days, few sunny days - all this leaves its mark on the formation of personality and subsequent life cycles.
To soften the harshness of winter and add tenderness and serenity to woman's destiny girls born in winter are given more tender and romantic names - Svetlana, Tatyana, Lyudmila, Marina, Ekaterina, Polina, Melanya, Nina, Inna, Christina.
Girls born in the spring, during the awakening of nature after hibernation, are given names that help them become more decisive, symbolizing health, strength - Christina, Maria, Aurora, Martha, Maya, Vasilisa, Larisa, Daria, Eva, Anna, Irina, Victoria .
Emotional, impressionable and charming girls born in the hot summer months of the year, they need a name that can reduce their impulsiveness, add a touch of moderation and restraint to their generous and hot-tempered nature. For girls born in the summer, names such as Valentina, Sophia, Anna, Yulia, Elena, Nonna, Augusta, Elizaveta, Zhanna, Evdokia, Raisa, Vera are suitable.
Girls born in the autumn months often stand out for their talents and ability to demonstrate their best character traits - prudence, frugality, wisdom.
Such girls are given names that enhance their leadership qualities and help to fully reveal all their talents - Victoria, Elena, Natalya, Lyudmila, Evgenia, Marianna, Zlata, Irina, Anastasia, Elizaveta, Feodora, Praskovya, Zinaida, Vera, Olga, Alisa.
Choosing a name for a girl according to its meaning
Each name symbolizes a certain meaning - character traits, personal qualities. The history of many names goes back centuries, or even millennia - Alexandra, Cleopatra, Maria. Time-tested, they carry centuries-old folk wisdom. Let us remember what the Indians called the most distinguished members of their society - Sharp Eye, Faithful Hand, Coyote chasing a deer.
The Indians called their girls no less poetic names - Silver Moon, Sweet-voiced Bird, Strong Deer, Mother of Grain. So the names of our modern times, and those that are called from century to century, and new ones that appeared at the dawn of the new millennium, contain a short description:
- Augusta– majestic, sacred, the name comes from the title of the Roman emperor;
- Alevtina– “rubbing with incense, alien to evil”, Orthodox Greek name;
- Alice- noble, noble birth;
- Anastasia- resurrected, immortal, coming from Ancient Greece, the name means "return to life";
- Apollinaria– literal interpretation of the name – “dedicated to Apollo”;
- Valentina– healthy, strong, coming from Ancient Rome, it means “to be healthy”;
- Varvara- “foreigner, savage”;
- Faith– truth, belief, borrowed from the Greek language, it means “serving God, having faith”;
- Violet- a Catholic name, literally translated from Latin as “violet”;
- Galina– this name means peace and serenity, the name of a sea nymph, translated from ancient Greek as “sea surface”;
- Diana– translated from the ancient Roman language as “divine”, the name of the Goddess of the hunt;
- Dayana,- Hebrew name meaning "God the Judge";
- Daria– strong, fiery, victorious, literally translated from ancient Persian as “great fire”, in ancient times the name was given to royal or influential persons;
- Eve- “life principle, ancestor, life” - this name is literally translated from Hebrew, in modern interpretation meaning “living”;
- Catherine– a name meaning purity, translated from ancient Greek as “pure, purity”;
- Elena– meaning “God of the Sun”, having an ancient Greek origin, in the modern interpretation it is translated “bright, light, chosen one”
- Evgenia– the name is the same, both Orthodox and Catholic, translated from ancient Greek “descendant of a noble family”, meaning “noble, high-born”;
- Elizabeth– Elisheva, sounding in Hebrew, the Hebrew name is translated “I swear by God”, has a modern interpretation – worshiping God, conjuring by God;
- Evdokia– the name, which has ancient Greek roots, literally means “incense”;
- Zinaida– having ancient Greek roots, the name is interpreted as “she is from the family of Zeus”; according to another version, the name means “caring”;
- Inna– translated from Latin it means “stormy stream”;
- Irina– the name has ancient Greek roots and means “peace, peace”;
- Maria– one of the most popular names in all languages of the world, literally means “lady”;
- Christina– has the interpretation “Christian”;
- Natalia– borrowed from Latin, the name means “Christmas”;
- Olga– a name borrowed from the Scandinavian language, the interpretation of the name means “holy”;
- Raisa– having Arabic roots, the name literally means “leader, important boss”;
- Sophia– one of the most popular female names, an ancient name ancient Greek origin, means “wisdom”;
- Tatiana– an old Russian name of ancient Greek origin, the interpretation of the name means “founder”;
- Yana- having Hebrew roots, the literal interpretation of the name means “the mercy of God.”
Modern popular names for girls
The most beautiful names for girls are often the most popular.
From time to time, a fashion develops for certain names, so at the beginning of the 20th century the most used and frequent names were - Maria, Anna, Evdokia, Anna, Praskovya, Aksinya, and at the end of the same century, the very first lines in the popularity rating of female names were occupied by the names - Elena, Natalya, Victoria, Ekaterina, Tatyana, Marina, Olesya, Olga.
After the revolution of 1917, during the ideology of building a new world, the newly created names turned out to be popular - Oktyabrina, Revolution (Lucia), Leniniana, Dazdraperma (Long live the First of May), Damira (Give a world revolution), Karmiya (Red Army), Iskra ,Energy.
At the beginning of the 21st century, the fashion for ancient maiden names Yaroslava, Elizaveta, Anna, Maria, Daria, Sophia, Evdokia, Anastasia, Praskovya, Ulyana returned.
Modern top-level rankings of female names are occupied by such names as Elizaveta, Sophia, Ksenia, Anastasia, Alisa, Daria, Polina, Ekaterina, Ulyana. The most popular name is the name Sofia, 63 girls out of 1000 are called Sofia, Sofyushka, Sonya.
- Sofia;
- Anastasia;
- Daria;
- Maria;
- Anna;
- Victoria;
- Pauline;
- Elizabeth;
- Catherine;
- Ksenia.
Unusual Russian names for girls
Some of the most unusual Slavic Russian names are the names Bazhena and Bozhena.
These two are similar in sound, but still different names, have different interpretations:
- Bazhena- beloved, sweet, desired, Old Church Slavonic Russian name, literally interpreted as “desired child”;
- Bozena– gifted by God, a Slavic name borrowed from Byzantium, and by them from Ancient Greece, means “blessed”.
In Rus', they always tried to distinguish a person through a name, and for girls they also tried to choose the most unusual and most beautiful names, but in their meaning, either protecting and protecting her, or endowing her with the necessary personal qualities, or providing assistance in her feminine destiny - creating a family and motherhood:
- Yarina - dedicated to Yarila, the Old Slavonic God of the sun;
- Bronislava is a half-forgotten Slavic name in Rus', most popular in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, meaning “glorious with protection”;
- Vladislava - glorious, possessing glory;
- Darina – Old Slavonic name, meaning “gift of the Gods”;
- Zlata is a Slavic name, common not only in the territory of Ancient Rus', but also among many other Slavic peoples, meaning “golden, gold”;
- Zlatotsveta – “the color of gold”, interpreted as “golden, blooming with gold”;
- Yaroslava - glorifying Yarila; bright, having bright glory;
- Lada is a very common name in Rus', meaning okay, sweet;
- Aelita - appeared in 1923 thanks to the novel by A. Tolstoy, the name literally means “the last visible light of a star”;
- Lyubava is an Old Slavonic name meaning “giving love”, later used in the form Love;
- Miroslava - famous for the world, glorifying the world;
- Radmira is an Old Slavonic name meaning “careful, caring for the world”;
- Radmila - literally meaning “sweet joy”, interpreted as - sweet joy, joy-bringing;
- Alena - literally “sunlight, sunbeam”, the name is interpreted as sunny, radiant, bewitching;
- Vasilisa - regal, queen;
- Vasilina - the literal meaning of “ruler’s wife”, the name was common in the territory of Ancient Rus', in other Slavic countries it has analogues - Vasilika, Vasilitsa, Vasily, Vasilida;
- Vesela – cheerful; bestowing joy;
- Svetozara is an Old Slavonic name meaning “illuminating with light”;
- Yaga is loud, noisy, noisy.
Vintage names for girls
Some of the names that people the same age as pyramids and ancient temples called their daughters have survived to this day. Some of them have undergone minor changes, others have remained unchanged. Although, progress and the development of civilization have done their job and many names that were popular in their good old days remain in handwritten archival volumes, or are mentioned in fairy tales and legends.
Modern ancient names that are still popular today:
- Alexandra - the name is of ancient Greek origin, meaning “courageous, reliable, protector of people”;
- Mary is a Hebrew name, literally means “lady”, interpreted as holy, tall (according to another interpretation - bitter, stubborn);
- Olga is an Old Slavonic name with Scandinavian roots, meaning “saint”;
- Eve is the “progenitor”, a name considered to be the very first female name in the world;
- Aurora - morning star, Goddess of the dawn;
- Helia – the sun;
- Ada is a Hebrew name meaning "adornment";
- Ariadne is an ancient Greek name with interpretations of “the one you really like” and “faithful wife”;
- Lola is an ancient Greek name meaning “weed”;
- Victoria is a name derived from the Latin word meaning “victory”;
- Evdokia - means “good fame”;
- Zoe is an ancient Greek name meaning “life”;
- Muse is a name of ancient Greek origin, literally “Goddess of the Arts”;
- Nonna is an ancient Egyptian name meaning “pure, dedicated to God”;
- Olympics - Olympic;
- Seraphim is a Hebrew name meaning “fiery, burning”;
- Sarah – the beginning of the race;
- Faina - translated from Hebrew as “bright”.
Ancient names that are no longer used in modern life:
- Aglaida – Ancient Greek meaning “brilliant”;
- Androna is the winner;
- Dosithea – literally “given by God”, of ancient Greek origin;
- Kaleria is a Latin name meaning “ardent, hot”;
- Epistimya – meaning “science, knowledge”;
- Isis is the ancient Greek name of the Goddess of Fertility;
- Leonia – meaning “lioness”;
- Chionia is an ancient Greek name interpreted as “snowy, snow”;
- Malusha (Mlada) - Old Slavonic, meaning “the youngest girl in the family”
- Bereginya - protects the home and family hearth, protects it.
Interesting Islamic names for girls
As in Christianity, in the religion of Islam, names have different origins and interpretations. Many of them are borrowed from other cultures - Jewish, Egyptian, Christian.
In Muslim traditions, poetic and flowery speech is welcomed and highly valued, therefore, Islamic names often have beautiful sounds and interpretations. The most popular, most beautiful Islamic names for girls are successfully borrowed by other nations too.
List of the most used and beautiful Islamic names:
- Amira is an Arabic name meaning "princess":
- Amal – literally “aspiring”;
- Gulnara is a common Islamic name of Persian origin, translated as “pomegranate flower”;
- Leila – weightless, twilight;
- Rashida – Arabic name, literally “wise”;
- Jamalia – literally translated as “beautiful”;
- Chana - the name is of Hebrew origin, interpreted as “grace, strength, courage”;
- Kamila is an Arabic name meaning “perfect”;
- Rabab – snow-white cloud;
- Delfusa - interpretation of the Arabic name means “silver soul”;
- Jannat is an Arabic name meaning “heavenly abode”;
- Lamis - the name has the interpretation of “one that is pleasant to the touch”;
- Asmira – literally – “chief princess”;
- Dinora - interpretation of the name - “gold coin”;
- Haifa is a name with Arabic roots and means “slender, beautiful in body.”
Beautiful names for girls by nationality
Each nation has its own unique history of development, its own ethnic group. Customs, legends, and folk tales have their own differences, enriching the common world culture. And each nation has its own special names, created on the basis of the cultural heritage of the ancestors of a particular nationality.
Caucasian
In the Caucasus, special emphasis is placed on the interpretation of the name, since it is believed that the name given at birth will determine the fate of the newborn girl and will influence the continuation of the family.
Girls' names often mean tenderness and purity, purity and fidelity; in the Caucasus it is customary to give girls names of flowers:
- Varda – literally “rosebud”;
- Gulfiya - interpreted as “the one that is like a flower”;
- Gulnaz – translated as “graceful, gentle.” graceful";
- Rabia - means “Garden of Eden”;
- Yasmine – literally “jasmine flower”;
- Sholpan – literally “morning star”;
- Kamila – meaning perfection.
Ukrainian
Ukrainian names mostly have Slavic roots, many of them are included in the general group with Russian and Belarusian names.
Some names, similar in interpretation, meaning and origin, have their own phonetic features:
- Ganna (Anna) – meaning “grace”;
- Alexandra – protector, protector;
- Mariyka – interpreted as “mistress”;
- Olesya – literally “forest”;
- Oksana - having the interpretation of “alien, foreign”.
Armenian
The diversity of Armenian names is explained by the complex Armenian history and the influence of the ethnic group of other peoples - Parthians, Greeks, Arabs, Slavs - on Armenian culture. Armenian names girls often mean the names of ancient Armenian pagan gods, names of flowers, heavenly bodies, names of ancient queens and other interpretations:
- Anahit- the name of the ancient Armenian pagan goddess, literally means “breath of goodness and happiness, goodness”, has interpretations - “Golden Mother, Gold-Born, Great Queen”;
- Asya (Asia)– has the interpretation “passionate, divinely beautiful, beautiful”;
- Zara– the name has several interpretations, including “lady, dawn, morning dawn”;
- Lusine– literally “Moon”
- Karina– a name that also has several interpretations – “the keel of a ship, looking forward”;
- Armine– a name with ancient Germanic roots and meaning “courageous”;
- Arus– literally “sunny”.
Georgian
Poetic and melodic Georgian female names are distinguished by their proud meanings and mean elegance, grace, royalty, chastity:
- Mary (Mariam) – regal, lady;
- Elene - a variation of the name Elena, meaning “light, bright”;
- Shorena – literal interpretation “true”;
- Mzevinar – translated as “sun”;
- Lela - nocturnal, night;
- Zeinabi – borrowed from Arabic, means “decoration”;
- Medea is the name of the beloved daughter of the king of Colchis;
- Dariko – literally “gift of God”;
- Theona – of ancient Greek origin meaning “divine wisdom.”
Chechen
Chechen names, like most names of the Caucasian group of peoples, are distinguished by their poetic sound.
The names of Chechen girls often have religious meaning, and also denote beautiful female qualities:
- Aziza – literally “respected, dear”;
- Aliya – has the interpretation “majestic”;
- Zainab is the name of the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad;
- Zuleikha - this was the name of the beloved wife of the prophet Yusuf;
- Maryam - this was the name of the mother of the prophet Isa;
- Malika – literally means “angel”;
- Rukia - the name belonged to the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad;
- Rashida - interpreted as “prudent”.
Azerbaijani
Azerbaijani parents give their daughters very poetic-sounding names:
- Aidan – literally “lunar”;
- Aigul – translated as “moon flower”;
- Aigun - this name translates as “lunar day”;
- Ainur – literally “moon-faced”;
- Billura – literally “crystal”;
- Bella - has the interpretation of “beautiful, beautiful”;
- Gunay – literally “sun and moon”;
- Zhalya – translated as “morning dew”;
- Ilakha - has the interpretation of “goddess”.
Kazakh
The names that Kazakh girls are called mostly have Turkic roots. Some names have religious meaning, some have desired personal qualities, some female Kazakh names mean jewelry, flowers, nature.
Kazakh names:
- Mariam - interpreted as “influential, lady”;
- Sarah – meaning “progenitor”;
- Aisha – of Muslim origin, means “full of life, energetic”;
- Adila - a name of Arabic origin is interpreted as “fair and honest”;
- Mavlyuda - having Arabic roots, the name is interpreted as “girl”;
- Marjdan – literally “pearl”;
- Nargiz – the name means flower;
- Gulmira - the name has the interpretation of “graceful flower”.
Tatar
Tatar female names are often formed from the names of a common Turkic language group:
- Gulnara – means “pomegranate flower”;
- Abelkhayat – literally “living ode”;
- Agdalia - has the interpretation of “loyal, honest, most fair”;
- Agilya - the name has the interpretation of “smart, capable, quick-witted”;
- Baljan – means “she has a sweet honey soul”;
- Varida – literally “rose”;
- Gadila - the name means “honest and fair”;
- Dalia – literally translated as “bunch of grapes”;
- Dilfiza – has the interpretation “silver of the soul, silver soul”;
- Zulfiya – means “beautiful”;
- Ravilya – literally “teenage girl, young girl.”
Bashkir
The Bashkir language also belongs to the Turkic group; the names of Bashkir girls are also mainly derived from Turkic names and have a common sound and interpretation with other names for this language group:
- Agilya – literally “smart”;
- Aziza is a name of Arabic origin meaning “mighty;
- Guzel - a name of Turkic origin, has the interpretation of “beautiful”;
- Dinara - the name has the sound “coin made of gold, gold”;
- Zamira – literally “heart”;
- Aigul - has the interpretation of “moon flower”;
- Aisha - this was the name of one of the wives of the Prophet Muhammad;
- Laysan - literally the calendar month of April, interpreted as “spring rain”;
- Zilya - interpreted as “pure, purity.”
Turkish
Beautiful female Turkish names are mostly of Turkic, Persian or Arabic origin. The names given to Turkish girls can mean the day or month of birth, have religious meaning, personal qualities, capable of influencing the development of the character and fate of its owner:
- Khatizhde is the name of an angel who protects from the evil eye, the literal meaning is “premature child”;
- Fatima is the name of Muhammad's most beloved daughter;
- Altyn – literally interpreted as “golden”;
- Aishe - a name meaning “living, life”, the name was borne by one of Muhammad’s wives;
- Aida – the name has the interpretation “lunar, on the moon”;
- Gulgun - the name is literally interpreted as “pink day”;
- Yulduz – the name means “star”;
- Esen – literally “windy, wind”;
- Akgül – literally “white rose flower”;
- Kelbek - the name is interpreted as “butterfly”;
- Nulefer – has the interpretation “water lily, water flower”;
- Sevji – This name literally means “love”;
- Eke is a name meaning "queen".
Arabic
Ancient and beautiful Arabic female names have been successfully borrowed by many peoples of the world. The difference between Arabic names is that they can change throughout life, and a girl named at birth with one name will be called by a different name after the birth of the child. The name may also change due to a change in location.
In their interpretation of meanings, female Arabic names denote flowers, nature, character traits, and have religious meanings:
- Aziza - Muslim name of Arabic origin, has the meaning “rare, valuable;
- Amina - mea has a religious meaning, it was worn by the mother of the Prophet Muhammad;
- Zakira - literal interpretation of “good-natured”;
- Farida is one of the interpretations of “having incomparable beauty”;
- Fazilya is a name of Arabic origin, which has the interpretation of “the best, better than others, talented”;
- Asiya (Asiyat) - the name literally means “healing, comforting”;
- Saida is a very common Muslim name meaning “happy”;
- Safiya – literally “pure, true, blessed”;
- Malika is a name of Arabic origin that literally means “ruling.”
Japanese
Japanese female names have a rich history and culture of development. Some names are related to nature, meaning blooming crops, flowers.
The other part of the names means seasons, month of birth, character traits:
- Ayame – means “iris flower”;
- Arisu – literally “noble”;
- Izumi is a literal interpretation of the name “fountain”;
- Akiko – born in autumn;
- Ai – literally means “love”;
- Itsu – the name means “charming, delightful”;
- Yoko – literally “sunny”, has the interpretation “sunny, bright, child of the sun”;
- Kasumi - means “fog, haze”;
- Manami - literally interpreted as “the beauty of love”;
- Mina – the name means “the most beautiful, beauty”;
- Nara – literal interpretation of “oak”;
- Natsumi – the name means “beautiful summer”;
- Oki – literally “middle, heart of the ocean”;
- Sakura - the name means " Blooming tree cherries"No.
- Hoshi - the name means "star".
American
American girl names consist of names from many cultures and peoples. The diversity of American culture has led to the fact that some names are variations of the same name.
Basically, American girl names consist of European names, Latin American names, Muslim names, and also have Hebrew, Latin and Celtic origins. American Catholic families often give their girls the names of Catholic saints.
Also in American families, ancient and upper testament names are used, which for the most part have fallen out of use on other continents:
- Adriana– a name of ancient Roman origin, meaning “she who is from the shores of the Adriatic”;
- Anna– the name is one of the most popular American names for girls, meaning “brave”;
- Dominica– having Latin roots, the name has the interpretation “belonging to the Lord”;
- Lillian– a name of French origin, has variations – Lily, Lilia, Lilu, Lillian, the name means “lily”, has the interpretation of “blooming”
- Angela- also one of the most popular American names, has variations - Angie, Angie, Angelina, Angel, Angel, Angela - literally the name is interpreted as “messenger”;
- Vanessa – English name, has variations - Nessa, Nessie, Vanetta, Vanetta, is considered invented by the writer Jonathan Smith, according to another version it means the deity Fanet;
- Evgenia– found in American Catholic families, literally means “high-born”;
- Lucia- a name of Latin origin, has variations - Lucia, Lucinda, Lucia, Cindy, Lucita, Lucia and others, literally means “light, radiance”;
- Mayan– a name with ancient Greek roots, the name belonged to the goddess of fertility;
- Maria- one of the most common female American names, has variations - Mary, Marie, Marya, Maryam, Miriam and others, the Hebrew name is interpreted as “high-ranking lady”;
- Patricia– has variations Pat, Patsy, Pat, Pate, Patricia, Patricia and others, literally means “noble”;
- Sarah- a biblical name, which has interpretations of “noble lady, princess, high-born, ancestor of a noble family”;
- Helen- also one of the most commonly used American names, has variations - Elena, Helen, Helen, Ellen and others, meaning “chosen, bright, illuminated”;
- Chloe- has variations of Cloy, Chloe, Chlorinda, Clorinda and others, meaning “greening”.
English
The names given to girls in English families are diverse and consist of names of several language groups - Celtic, Scottish, Old Germanic, Norman names, Latin language group names:
- Alexandra– more popular in English families in the masculine version, meaning “protector, courageous”;
- Victoria– one of the most popular English names, has a Latin origin meaning “victory”;
- Belinda– having Latin roots, the name is interpreted as “sweet, lovely”;
- Gabriella– having variations – Gabi. Gabri, Gabi, Gabriel, considered to be derived from male name Gabriel, interpreted as “God’s helper”;
- Diana– one of the most common English names for girls, the name of the goddess of the moon and the hunt;
- Juliana– having variations Julie, Julia, Gillian and others, is considered a derivative of the name Julia, has the interpretation of “fluffy, curly, having curls”;
- Elizabeth– also one of the most popular names in England, has variations Elizabeth, Isabella and others, the name means “dedicated to God”;
- Caroline- from ancient German it is literally interpreted as “queen”, has variations - Carol, Carlota, Carey, Caroline, Carrie and others;
- Maria– more popular in English variations Mary, Mariline, Marilyn, meaning “mistress”;
- Olivia– of Latin origin, literally interpreted as “olive tree”;
- Rose– having variations – Rose, Rozana, Rosalia, the name means rose flower;
- Florence– the name, which has Roman roots, is interpreted as “blooming.”
Italian
The names that Italians give to their newborn girls are considered the most beautiful and melodious in Europe. According to the existing centuries-old tradition, names were passed down “by inheritance” from generation to generation and were considered family names.
The bulk of female Italian names are of ancient Roman and Latin origin:
- Augustine– interpreted as “imperial”;
- Alexandra– meaning “protector”, a variation of the name Alexander;
- Beatrice– the name is of Latin origin, meaning “blessed, happy”;
- Angelica– having a literal interpretation of “angelic”;
- Victoria– one of the most common names not only in Italy, but throughout Europe, means “victory”;
- Violet– an old Latin name with variations Violet, Viola, Violanta and others, literally meaning “violet”;
- Justina– having variations Justine, Ustinya, Justina, the name of Latin origin means “fair”;
- Julia– having variations Juliana, Julie, Julia, Juliana, Julia, Julia and others, interpreted as fluffy, curly”;
- Isabel– the Italian variation of the name Elizabeth has gained popularity far beyond Europe, meaning “dedicated to God”;
- Constance – derived name from Constantine, the ancient Greek name has the interpretation “persistent, constant”;
- Silvia– a name of Latin origin, meaning “forest”.
Spanish
In Spain, at birth, a child is given two surnames at the same time - the father's and the mother's. The choice of name for newborn girls is based on adherence to family traditions; names with religious significance are widely popular. Spanish female names are considered very beautiful and melodious not only in Spain itself, but also in countries located on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.
Spanish names:
- Maria– one of the most common female names in Spain, revered in religious overtones;
- Angelica– a variation of the name Angelica, is widespread in Latin American countries and is interpreted as “angel, angelic”;
- Antonina– has variations Antoinette, Antonia, the name has the interpretation “worthy of praise”;
- Gertrude- of ancient Germanic origin, has variations - Gretta, Henrietta;
- Isabel– has variations Isabel, Isabella, has a religious meaning “dedicated to God”;
- Iness– the ancient Greek name has the literal meaning of “lamb”, and is largely interpreted as “innocent”;
- Clarice– an ancient Greek name, is the second name of Artemis, meaning “clear, fair, fair-haired”;
- Katarina– which is a variation of the name Catherine, has become widespread not only in Spain, but also in other Spanish-speaking countries;
- Ophelia– a name of Greek origin is interpreted as “help”;
- Pauline– interpretation of the name “modest”;
- Eleanor– has ancient Greek roots, is widely popular among Spanish female names, and has the meaning “mercy, compassion”;
French
The tradition of giving a newborn several names at once is very popular in France, providing her with the protection of different saints. The French consider this tradition not only useful, but also practical, allowing a person, for certain reasons, to choose another name as the main one from a long list of his own names.
Many French names are considered the most beautiful names for girls
The French language has many compound names; the names of Catholic saints are popular. According to another tradition, the first daughter is given the name of her grandmother as her main name.
Currently, French female names have been successfully replenished with borrowed short names from other language groups:
- Eva is one of the most popular modern female names in France, a name of biblical origin, interpreted as “progenitor”;
- Henrietta - a variation on the name Henrietta of Germanic origin;
- Sasha is a borrowed Russian name, interpreted as “protector”;
- Nadya is also a borrowed Russian name;
- Aurora – of Latin origin, meaning “morning star”;
- Angelica - interpreted as “angel, angel-like”;
- Adele – borrowed from the ancient Germanic language, meaning “noble”;
- Claire - a variation of Clarice, meaning the goddess Artemis;
- Jacqueline - the name has interpretations - “displacing, overtaking”;
- Diana is one of the most common female French names and has the interpretation “divine”;
- Anna is one of the most popular female names in France, meaning “brave”;
- Louise is also very popular name, which has the interpretation of “famous battle”;
- Natalie - having the interpretation of “Christmas”;
- Sophie - a variation of the name Sophia, an ancient Greek name, meaning “wisdom”;
- Emily is a name of ancient Greek origin, literally meaning “strong, strong.”
Rare names with interesting meanings for girls
Some names that have a rare and beautiful sound are not used so often, like others and are rare:
- Venus is a beautiful old name of Latin origin, meaning “love”;
- Olympics – having the interpretation “Olympic”;
- Palmyra – the name literally means “palm tree”;
- Juno is a name of Greek origin, the goddess of marriage and love was named by it;
- Miya – meaning “rebellious”;
- Artemis is a name that means “whole, inviolable, unharmed,” belonging to the goddess of the hunt;
- Vesnyana – literally means “spring”;
- Dahlia - the owner of the name is called the meaning of the flower;
- Hera is the literal translation of “lady.”
By choosing the most beautiful, most unusual name from the rarest names for girls, parents can be sure of its comparative individuality for their child. And then the bearer of such a name will not only always be in the center of attention, but will also have a chance to make a bright statement about herself in any new team.
True, here too one should observe the “golden mean”, and, when calling a girl a rare and unusual name, try to choose a really beautiful one for her sounding name. No matter what beautiful name is chosen for a newborn girl, for the development of her character and happy destiny, first of all, the love and care of her parents is needed.
Video on the topic: beautiful names for girls
A selection of beautiful, rare and unusual names for girls:
TOP 10 most unusual and beautiful names for girls:
Our acquaintance with each other begins with a mutual introduction: my name is…. , and then we will learn the personal characteristics of the interlocutor in direct communication. But the first impression is the impression of the name, so the proverb that “one is greeted by his clothes” can be supplemented with the words “one is greeted by his name.” Only the parents face a more difficult task: they greet their newborn baby completely naked (no, I’ve heard about some: “it seems he was born in a shirt!”, but the word “seems” is the key in this phrase every time), documents with the name written I don’t have it with me either.
When, who and how should come up with a name for the child? It happens differently in different families. Someone prepares in advance not only everything necessary for the birth and first months of a child’s life, but also selects a name for the little person. And some people wait until the last minute, frantically making a decision only because all the waiting periods have expired, and calling a five-month-old person simply “Lala” is no longer serious. The choice of name itself occurs differently. Here we will talk about the Orthodox tradition of choosing a name for a child, and, accordingly, about what is associated with such concepts as name days and Angel Day.
An excursion into history: how it was
People who consider themselves believers try to live all aspects of life in accordance with their religious tradition. In the Biblical tradition of the Mediterranean culture, which includes Christianity in general, and Orthodoxy in particular, the question of a person’s name has always been very important. The names of the heroes of the faith - Abraham, Isaac and Jacob - were repeated many times over generations, first among the Old Testament Jews, and then among Christians. It was believed that giving a child the name of a righteous man made him, the child, a participant in the holiness and glory that the original bearer of the name had already received from God. Here, the main motive for naming the baby was the desire to delegate to him, even if only by name for now, part of the merits before God of their prototypes.
The era of early Christianity, especially its pronounced Hellenic period, did not regulate the special process of choosing a name for a child. Many names were specifically pagan in nature, as evidenced by their Greek translation into Russian. Actually, people who became saints and gave their names a sacred character, made them Christian names. We must understand that the effect of precedent is very precious to any believer. If one day in religious life if something turned out exactly like this, then in the future it is worth repeating the same path to achieve success in the most important thing - saving your own soul. In part, this receptive approach resembles the Old Testament tradition, but only in part, because in Old Testament there is no understanding that deceased saints are active characters, especially in the lives of people who bear their names. There, precisely, it is more of a tradition than mysticism.
In Christianity, with its feeling that “everyone is alive with God,” the saint whose name a person bears is a real active character in the fate of his ward. This patronage was expressed in the concept of “heavenly patron”. It is interesting that often the “heavenly patrons” themselves at one time did not have any heavenly patrons, therefore, they were able to realize their holiness without an additional mystical element in their lives, without additional help. “The heroes are not us!” - I want to exclaim after the poet glorifying the strength and strength of previous generations. However, there is no such thing as too much help, and the tradition of giving names in honor of saints - and receiving prayer books and patrons in their person - has been strengthened over the first few centuries of Christianity. In Rus', this tradition appeared along with the adoption of Orthodoxy as an integral part of it. The Baptist of Rus' - Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir - himself received the Christian name Vasily in his baptism.
The issue of choosing a name in Christian families has always been decided by the parents. In Russia, during the Synodal period, a strange custom developed among the peasantry to delegate this right to the priest who performs baptism. It is clear that the parish clergyman, not really bothering himself with the question of finding out the lives of his or not his parishioners, preferred to use the calendar. Saints are a list of saints with the dates of their death, distributed according to the calendar. In the Christian tradition, the date of earthly death has always been considered the beginning eternal life, and even more so for saints. Consequently, special holidays in honor of saints were celebrated, as a rule, not when their birth was remembered, but when the day of their departure to God was remembered. Over the centuries-old history of the Church, the calendar has been constantly replenished. Therefore, now every day the Church celebrates the memory of many saints, therefore, you can choose a name based on euphony and tolerance for the tastes of relatives, the most suitable, if we are guided by this synodal relic. However, in a normal situation, as stated by the most authoritative books on Orthodox ritual, “The New Tablet” and “Interpretation of Orthodox Liturgy” by Blessed Simeon of Thessaloniki, the name of the baby is given, after all, by the parents. The priest, while reading the naming prayer, only records the parental choice.
Choosing a name for a newborn
From the outside, it sometimes seems that life is easier for a believer in the sense that for every life situation he has ready-made instructions: do it once, do it twice, do it three. Actually this is not true. More precisely, the principle of church life was formulated by St. Augustine: “In the essential there is unity, in the secondary there is diversity, and in everything there is love.” Traditionally, Christians name their children after canonized saints. But how to choose the saint after whom to name the baby? There are two different approaches to this issue, each has its own supporters, and a sufficient number of arguments can be given in favor of each.
Option one:
Parents, if they do not have a clear plan for the child’s name, can use the calendar. The principle here is simple: you need to look at the names of the saints on the baby’s birthday, or after it, or on the day of baptism. Here is what you can read about this in Orthodox literature:
“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 Theophan, the Recluse of Vyshensky (1815-1894).
Option two:
However, the most common tradition has always been the custom of naming a child in honor of a saint revered by the family. This practice is based on the fact that truly believers make personal prayer contact with one or another saint. If this is so, then, usually, in the family of previous generations there are already people bearing the names of the revered saint. Hence, there is a kind of tradition of continuity, which for outsiders can create the illusion of only tribal respect, for example, naming children in honor of grandfathers, grandmothers, mothers or fathers, and so on. Yes, for a person with little religion, this is exactly the case; moreover, this is a worthwhile motive in non-religious families, at least it is not reprehensible and very human. However, initially, the main reason was precisely the veneration of a particular saint by entire generations. Sometimes it happens that a real miracle associated with one or another saint breaks into the ordinary course of life, then, grateful parents, can give his name to their child in order to perpetuate their relationship to the heavenly patron in a son or daughter.
In favor of this approach - the choice of a particularly revered saint, regardless of the date of birth of the baby being named - one can also cite the statements of famous church figures:
“The Holy Church, knowing that few are capable of giving names on their own that bring with them a blessing, has established the wonderful custom of borrowing from the saints names that, by the grace of the saints, are always significant and capable of bringing with them a blessing. But, moreover, it is especially good for an infant who is given the name of a saint not only according to custom, but out of faith and love for the saint.”
Saint Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow (1783-1867).
“The child must be dedicated, or rather, entrusted to the care, protection, and prayers of the saint whose name is given to him. Parents would have to choose a saint who means something to them, that is, whose life struck them in some way or who is somehow connected with the conception of this child. In old Russia (probably this is still sometimes done) a child was baptized in the name of the saint on whose day the christening took place. This makes some sense, provided, again, that this will not be a nickname, but will be like the consecration of a new temple in the name of a given saint. Parents should, when they want to give this or that name to a child, find out what life is like the saint, what is in him, what strikes them not with the euphony of the name, but with the inner appearance, why they want their child to be under the protection of this saint, or, in any case, for this saint to especially pray for him. Therefore, the name of a child can be of enormous importance.”
Anthony ,
What name should an adult be baptized with?
It happens that parents come to faith after the birth of their children, and when they are going to baptize their growing children or to be baptized themselves, it turns out that the name chosen initially has no analogues, for example, in the Russian calendar. Currently, there is a tradition of renaming at baptism itself, so that a person still has an Orthodox heavenly patron. If the child, and not only the child, agrees, especially if baptism occurs in adulthood, a double name appears in life. One is for everyone and for general use, and the other is for religious life. This is especially true for non-Slavic nationalities that have their own names, for example, Rose, Stella and the like.
The baptismal name can be chosen in different ways: either in honor of a particularly revered saint, or according to the calendar, as mentioned above, or - and this option is the most common - a name is chosen that is close in sound to that recorded on the birth certificate. Therefore, Yana and Zhanna are most often baptized with the name John, Gertruds become Galinas, Ilonas, Alenas and Nellys become Elenas.
At the same time, you need to know that the Russian calendar does not completely reflect the entire palette of Orthodox names. They do not contain many names of saints of other local churches. And, for example, Armenians or Georgians often have to explain in church shops where they submit notes that they were baptized according to Orthodox rank, just with such national names. There is a more striking example of some isolation, this is the name of the Celtic saint Edward, who lived in England and belonged to the saints of the undivided Church. By all measures, this is an Orthodox name, however, this name is not in the Russian calendar, and boys with such a beautiful name are usually called in a new way at baptism.
In Soviet times, however, as very rarely now, people were baptized with non-Christmas names, for example Inga or Ninel. This happened due to inattention, or for some other reason, but after that it was very difficult for a person if he tried to lead an active church life, since a constant comment was required: “they were baptized this way.” But, purely theoretically, if these people became saints, and the Church could canonize them, their names could be included in the Orthodox calendar. After all, it also happened that even someone who was baptized with a new Christian name a person who became a saint created a precedent with his true name, such as our Princess Olga and Prince Vladimir.
What if an adult with a name that is in the calendar is baptized? In this case, it is more convenient to be baptized in honor of the saint with the same name, so as not to create confusion with two names. If there are several holy namesakes, you can choose a heavenly patron among them from the same considerations as mentioned above: either take the most revered among them, or - this is exactly what happens when a heavenly patron is “appointed” in a church shop when accepting an application for baptism - choose a saint whose memorial day comes immediately after the birthday of the newly baptized.
There is no tradition of baptizing with double names - for example Anna-Maria - in the Orthodox Church.
Naming ceremony
Previously, Baptism was not performed as hastily as it is now. If there were no emergency cases, they were baptized on the fortieth day after birth, on which, according to Old Testament belief, the mother was cleansed of the consequences of pregnancy and could herself attend the baptism of the baby. But the name was given, and they were included in the category of the so-called catechumens, on the eighth day. Here, too, not everything is so arbitrary and random. On the one hand, on the eighth day, the Jews had the ritual of circumcising the baby, that is, dedicating him to God and becoming one of the chosen people. This has been the case since the time of Abraham.
Because the christian baptism replaced circumcision, it was logical that the baby’s entry into the number of the “holy people,” that is, Christians, also occurred on the eighth day. However, there was also a proper Gospel interpretation of this tradition. Symbolically, the eighth day was associated with the advent of the Kingdom of Heaven. The Apostle Paul writes about this in his Epistle to the Hebrews: in seven days God created this world and took care of it, and now believers are looking forward to “that day,” the eighth, when Jesus Christ comes. By the way, the eighth day of the week in the Orthodox week coincides with the first, and this is Sunday, when Easter is remembered. Hence, symbolic meaning The naming ceremony on the eighth day after the birthday is also “inscribing the name of the newborn in the book of life of the Kingdom of Heaven.”
But, of course, this is ideal; in practice, now the prayer of naming is performed on the same day when the child is baptized, and is not separated into a separate liturgical action. In this prayer, the priest invokes the grace of the Holy Spirit on the newly baptized person and makes the sign of the cross over him, sanctifying all his thoughts, feelings and actions, calling him for the first time by his chosen Christian name. And from now on, this name will be used throughout a person’s life, as his church name by which, ultimately, he will be called to the Judgment of the future Kingdom.
Name day and heavenly patron
Now the Baptism Certificate, as a rule, indicates the “heavenly patron” and the day of the year when a person celebrates Angel Day, or name day. If a child is baptized by Alexander, this does not mean that he celebrates his name day every time he sees the day of remembrance of St. Alexander on the calendar, since there are several saints with that name. The name day is the day of remembrance of a very specific person - for example, the holy righteous prince Alexander Nevsky. Actually, the name Angel Day is the popular name for the day of memory of the saint whose name the person bears. The fact is that the Guardian Angel is also given to a person at baptism, as a companion and assistant in spiritual life. However, the saint in whose honor a person is named, in a figurative sense, is also called an Angel, or a messenger, conveying the will of God to man. It would be more accurate, of course, to say not Angel’s Day, but name day, or the day of such and such a saint. We have already noted that this is a memorial date when the Church remembers the achievement of the saints of the Heavenly Kingdom.
However, if the life of a saint is known in detail, in addition, after his death some unusual miracle occurred, for example, the discovery of his remains (the discovery of relics), then there may be several days of memory of such a saint in a year. Accordingly, there are also several name days - both as reasons for intense religious life and as family holidays. The largest number of name days per year are for people named in honor of John the Baptist.
The main responsibilities in relation to his heavenly patron for any person may be the following: knowledge of his life story, prayer to him, possible imitation of his holiness. Any believer strives to have in his home not only an icon, that is, an image of the saint in whose honor he is named, but also his Life, as well as special prayers for him - an akathist and a canon.
Prayer to the heavenly patron
Pray to God for me, holy servant of God (name of the saint), as I diligently resort to you, a quick helper and prayer book for my soul.
Prayer to the Guardian Angel
To the Angel of God, my guardian, holy and, given to me from God from heaven, I diligently pray to you: enlighten me today, and save me from all evil, guide me to good deeds and direct me on the path of salvation. Amen.
In church tradition, celebrating a birthday is less significant than celebrating a name day. And although at present this is not yet so clearly expressed, in pre-revolutionary times people of simple origin usually remembered only the year of their birth, and not the exact date, and in metrics, it was often the “Angelic Day” that was recorded, and not the date of birth. The difference in the emphasis of the celebration of both events is significant. On his birthday, the person himself is honored, less often his parents, although, by the way, this is unfair. On name days, attention is paid not so much to the living bearer of the saint’s name, but to the saint himself and his call for help. Therefore, the main element of correct church celebration Angel's Day is an enhanced spiritual life on this day. It is expressed quite practically. The birthday person is recommended to visit the temple, ideally, to confess and receive communion on this day, or, at least, to take part in a service in honor of his saint on this day.
The congratulatory and family part of the name day is not excluded at all. Gifts are always gifts. Usually, on this day, they are also of a religious nature. Now there are enough church souvenirs to be able to make a pleasant sign of attention to your family or loved one on Angel Day. However, everyday or everyday gifts are not excluded. In any case, name days are an additional family holiday that brings loving people together, strengthening their communication and relationship. The first congratulators, according to tradition, are, of course, man's godparents, his confessor and parents. In the literature you can find a fairly large number of descriptions of the home ritual actions associated with name days, right down to birthday menus and innocent entertainment. In any case, it should be noted that these customs are not so much church customs as everyday ones, and depending on geography and time they are quite diverse. Based on this, it is impossible to prescribe any templates for home birthday celebrations. What should, of course, remain common is the so-called “many years” in honor of the birthday person. It is proclaimed either by a priest, or by a head of the table, or by a person with special vocal abilities and includes the general wording:
« A prosperous and peaceful life, health, salvation, and good haste in everything, Lord, grant now to your namesake servant (your servant) “the name of the rivers,” and preserve him (her) for many years!”
And everyone present loudly and cheerfully sings “Many Years”! They sing as much as they want in whatever chants they want, there are quite a lot of them.
Does a name influence a person's destiny?
Is there any similarity between a person and the saint whose name he bears? This question could be answered in the affirmative if we had in mind an adult person who would live in such a way that he imitated the life of his “heavenly patron.” As we see, this similarity, if present, is only external and depends on the bearer of the name. Moreover, in this regard, there is no need to talk about a certain fatality of the meaning of the name, or its typological affiliation with one or another rank of holiness - saints, martyrs, saints, and so on. The baby was named Seraphim in honor of St. Seraphim Sarovsky, is not at all doomed to a monastic life. Just like the baby named Tatyana, or Varvara, will not necessarily be killed or suffer torment in life, like the martyrs who gave church calendar these names. The personality of any new person is absolutely unique and his fate depends only on him, while the saints and God Himself only help and protect from unnecessary troubles.
There are no “happy” and “unlucky” names; it is also wrong to think that naming a girl the “masculine” name of Alexander or Valery will develop masculine character traits in her. In the calendar, many names that we traditionally perceive as purely masculine also have a feminine form - Anatoly, Arseny, Zinovy, Kirill, Ioann, Paul, which, however, is not widespread in Russia. At the same time, the names Inna and Rimma, which are considered exclusively feminine in our country, are actually masculine (such as Nikita or Savva), therefore, for girls with such names, the heavenly patrons are the holy martyrs Inna and Rimma of Novodun, disciples of St. Andrew the First-Called.
“We bear the names of saints who lived their lives and fulfilled their calling on earth; we are dedicated to them, just as churches are dedicated to this or that saint; and we must ponder both the meaning of his name and the personality of the saint, which is accessible to us from his life. Because he is not only our prayer book, intercessor and defender, but to some extent also the image of what we could be. No one's life can be repeated; but it is possible to learn from the life of one or another person, a saint or even a sinner, to live more worthy of oneself and more worthy of God.”
Anthony , Metropolitan of Sourozh (1914-2003).
The child's name given to him at birth will influence his entire future life. It’s not for nothing that there are happy and unlucky names in history; they are associated with certain 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 Slavonic, Hebrew and Greek names, the most of 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.
Female 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 brave, 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 lead, first of all, 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 TatianaCLAUDIA, 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 extremely love to dress up, change their appearance, keep up with fashion and spend 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.
The 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 large quantity 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 the woman with the happiest character and the most happy fate. 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.
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 understand what the name you choose means (translated into Russian), look at full list 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; performed monastic service in male image under the name Dorofey, only after 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 St. Sergius Radonezh), this saint has two days of remembrance a 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
Holy Venerable 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:
(first date to church calendar, the second - in 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
- saint righteous Anna Prophetess (daughter of Phanuel), February 3/16, and also 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
- Holy 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 (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!
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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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.). Christians named after the archangels celebrate their name day (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. IN Lent Name days that happen 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 for the birthday boy will be something that can contribute to his spiritual growth: an icon; vessel for, container for and; beads; quality wax candles or a lamp for home prayer; books, audio and video recordings of spiritual content; a scarf and headscarf (this is the headdress of married women); a trip to a pilgrimage.
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 are wearing 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.
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. etc. 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 inner meaning a person, it seemed to be put inside him. The name controlled fate (" good name — 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: true name was not uttered in the hope that death and evil spirits might 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 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: an Egyptian myth is typical, according to which the god Ra hid his name, but the goddess Isis managed to find him out by opening his chest - the name literally turned out to be 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 that 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. At the sacrament of Baptism Christian church, accepting a new soul into his bosom, connects 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. Wearer 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 name book, which now consists of only a few dozen names (this also played a role general property“mass cultures” - 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 wore given 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 English. 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. Note that in the Russian Church, unlike some others Orthodox Churches, everyone's favorite name Maria is never given in honor Holy Mother of God, 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