Rare Russian Orthodox names for girls. We choose unusual and original names that are suitable for girls born in May

19.10.2019

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Our ancestors did not have such a problem as choosing a name for a newborn. Today, in some families, this is reaching the point of scandal, since dad wants to name his son Jordan, mom wants to name him Apollo, and grandparents dream of Vanechka. But in former times, everything was decided by the Orthodox church book, which was called “Saints”. Parents came to church, and the priest offered a choice of several names of Christian saints, whose memory was honored on the baby’s birthday. And if now parents want to make a choice in this particular way - how to choose a name for a child according to the calendar?

How to choose the right name according to the calendar?

Birthday, Angel's Day, name day... Many people confuse these concepts and congratulate them on their birthday. In fact, a birthday is the day on which a person was born, and a name day is the day of remembrance of the saint after whom he was named. The second name for name day is the day of the Angel or the day of the namesake. Previously, these days coincided for almost everyone, but now they practically do not. Despite this, some people began to celebrate Angel Day on the same basis as their birthday.

The Saints contain about 1,700 different names. Most of them are for men, and they have largely fallen out of use. This is not surprising, because many names seem funny to modern people, for example, Popius, Mnasen, Kurduva or Yazdundokta.

If you decide to name your newborn according to the calendar, remember the following:

It is best to choose the name for the baby of the saint who is honored on his birthday. For example, your child was born on February 1st. You are truly lucky, since according to the calendar, the newborn can be called by the following names: Arseny, Gregory, Henry, Louise, Euphrasia, Mark, Makar, Meletius, Savva, Theodosius, Feodor or Januarius.
If you have a boy, and on this day there are no names for a male representative, then the modern church usually advises looking at a few days ahead. You can do the same if you don’t like the proposed name (or names) at all.
The baptismal name is given once in a lifetime and does not change again (with the exception of the name changing upon tonsure as a monk and when changing faith).
Recently, some parents give their children double names: one is secular, and the other is church. Some people do this on purpose, while others do it by accident - it’s just that at birth the baby is given a non-Orthodox name, and in church the parents learn that the child cannot be baptized under the name, for example, Stella or Camilla. In this case, the priest invites parents to choose an Orthodox name for the baby - close or consonant with the “passport name”.
If the saint in whose honor you named your baby is venerated several times a year, then the Angel’s day is the next name day after the day birth.

From antiquity to the present day

The Orthodox book “Saints” is nothing more than a complete list of all the names of saints whom the Orthodox Church honors. The second name of this book is “The Book of Months”, since it describes the whole year, day by day, month by month.

Naming a child according to the calendar is an ancient tradition of many nations. The Slavs were no exception to this. People believed that when a baby receives the name of a saint who is venerated on the day of his birth or baptism, he will have a happy and long life. At the same time, it was not advisable to name a child after the great martyr - then he would be destined for a hard life, full of hardships and suffering.

If several saints were commemorated on a child’s birthday, then the parents could choose a name from several suggested by the priest. If there was only one name, then, alas, the parents had no choice. People did not dare to contradict the church. Later, if no saint was commemorated on the new person’s birthday, or they really didn’t like the name, then parents began to “increase” the list of names: they could consider the names of saints whose memory is celebrated on the eighth or fortieth day after the birth of the child. The fact is that our ancestors believed that a newborn should be given a name no earlier than the eighth day, and the sacrament of Baptism had to be carried out precisely on the fortieth day.

“Mesyatseslov” was used until the 1917 revolution. With the advent of Soviet power, when churches began to be massively destroyed and religion began to be banned, the tradition of naming children according to the calendar was abandoned. Nowadays, parents have begun to turn much more often to the Orthodox calendar to choose a name for their child. Many believe that it will make the baby happy, and the saint after whom it was named will become an intercessor and guardian angel for the child. And some parents simply follow modern fashion, because today an old or unusual name is “the last word.” So in kindergartens and schools we meet children with the names Luka and Akulina, Spiridon and Evdokia, Hilarion and Pelagia.

Calendar of names according to the calendar for each month

Name day in January

Names in February

Names in March

Names in April

Names in May

Names in June

When choosing a name for their daughter, parents are guided by various factors, including the memory of a loved one, the unusual sound, and its hidden meaning. Any names carry some information that, after birth, can influence its bearer, forming special habits, worldview, and character. In addition, before naming a girl, it is necessary to compare the choice with the middle name and pronounce the rumor, analyzing the overall sound. Consult with relatives, thereby you will find out the collective opinion.

What to name a girl

If you are interested in names for a girl, then think about whether the choice you made is suitable for the baby. Its acceptance by society is of no small importance. For a child to live among people, how will they react to an elaborately exotic option? Each is beautiful, but in its own way, in a certain area and for each nationality.

It would be inappropriate to use an Arabic name for a fair-haired girl living on European territory, even if it is very beautiful, melodious and unusual. It is better to focus on the multinational option, which can be selected from the directory. And if you have twin girls, then the search becomes much harder. In such cases, it is recommended to name the baby something consonant with the name of the second child: Ksenia and Semyon, Olga and Oleg, Masha and Misha.

Beautiful double names for girls Anna-Maria, Sofia-Victoria, Olga-Anastasia are gaining popularity. This happens because parents cannot decide on one of the options. Sometimes mothers believe that this will give the baby a couple of guardian angels at once. Psychologists say that such girls can begin to lead a double life. To prevent this from happening, the child is given one name, which is registered in the registry office, and a second name at baptism.

Choosing a name for a girl according to the Orthodox church calendar

Orthodox names have different origins - Hebrew, Greek, Latin. This is due to the fact that the Byzantines “collected” all the options they encountered. The church calendar included the Scandinavian ones - Olga, the common Slavic ones - Bogdan, the ancient Germanic ones - Henrietta. Recently, it has become fashionable to name a daughter according to the calendar. To choose your option for a girl, you need a complete church calendar, in which the name days of the saints are noted for each specific date of the month. Here is an example of several options for Christmastide:

The January girls were called: Anastasia, Ulyana, Evgenia, Maria, Tatyana, Eva, Alice, Polina.
February: Zoyas, Ksenias, Annas, Svetlanas, Valentinas, Agnias, Inns.
Martovskys: Antoninas, Marinas, Margaritas, Anastasias, Kiramis, Galinas, Ulyans, Valeries, Daryas.
April: Annas, Daryas, Alexanders, Allas, Larisas, Evas, Nikas, Sophias, Olgas, Irins, Lydias, Tamars.
Maiskys: Elizabeths, Marias, Taisiyas, Julias, Zoyas, Irins, Fains.
June: Alenami, Sophia, Elena, Innami, Annami.
July: Angelinas, Innas, Irinas, Zhannas, Juliannas, Olgas, Valentinas, Julias, Rimmas, Veronicas.
Augustovskys: Marys, Magdalenes, Svetlanas, Milenas, Nonnas, Olympiads, Ulyans, Eves, Daryas.
September: Anfisa, Natalia, Vasilisa, Milena, Ulyana.
Oktyabrskys: Ariadnas, Irinas, Sophias, Eulampias, Pelageyas, Mariannas, Veronicas, Zinaidas.
November: Alen, Elizaveta, Elena, Natalia, Valeria.
December: Angelinas, Catherines, Anfisas, Olgas, Varvaras, Annas.

Girl names by month for 2016 and 2019

The popularity of names changes annually. Fashionable in one season, it becomes out of date in another. There have been no big changes in the current 2016-2017 season. Let's look at fashionable Slavic options by month. It is recommended to call December girls Ekaterina, Olga, Varvara, Marina. For those born in January, Anastasia, Tatyana, Nina, Claudia, Evgenia are relevant; in February - Maria, Anna, Evdokia, Svetlana, Zoya.

Spring girls, distinguished by their cheerfulness and lively character, are given serious names that balance their activity. Girls born in March are recommended to be called Kirami, Margarita, Regina. For April babies, Christina, Taisiya, Tamara, Olga are suitable, for May babies - Antonina, Valeria, Sofia. Summer girlies are feminine and have a unique ability to please others. Call the June beauty Ulyana, Alena, Maria.

Born in July - Zhanna, Julia, Elena. Call the August maiden Anna, Seraphima, Valentina, Olga or Milena. Practical and purposeful ladies are born in autumn. This season the September girls were called Nadezhda, Anfisa, Vera. In October they give preference to Veronica, Zlata, Anna, in November - Eurosigne, Natalya, Alena, Olga.

Beautiful and rare Russian names for girls

In Rus', in ancient times, girls were named in order to protect them from evil spirits and unkind deeds. They formed names from words denoting animals and plants. They were very similar to nicknames. After the Baptism of Rus', women began to give girls personal names. It was then that most of the options appeared, which are currently considered modern and rare. They were influenced by their religious character because girls were named at baptism. It is interesting that in those days names were divided into aristocratic and peasant. The most beautiful ones that have come down to us are:

Zlata.
Anna.
Olga.
Seraphim.
Vasilisa.
Angelina.
Ulyana.
Nellie.
Augusta.
Anfisa.
Pavel.
Alice.

List of the most popular female names and their meanings

In Russia, the list of popular girls' names includes old and new options. To make the right choice for a girl, it is necessary not only to correlate them by ear, but also to know its history and meaning. The fate of the baby largely depends on this. You should avoid funny, overly original ones. Let's look at what the most popular names for newborn girls mean, according to dictionaries. Let's start with the letter "A", and then alphabetically:

Arina is calm.
Anna from Hebrew "grace".
Valentina from Old Russian means healthy.
Valeria is strong.
Victoria from Old Slavonic means “victory”.
Galina is calm.
Daria is the winner.
Diana after the Roman goddess.
Catherine from Old Russian means immaculate.
Elena is sunny.
Elizabeth from Old Russian means worshiper of God.
Jeanne is a gift from God.
Irina - peace.
Ksenia from Old Russian means a stranger.
Christina is dedicated to God.
Kira is a mistress.
Maria from Old Russian means bitter.
Olga is a saint.
Polina is smart and beautiful.
Seraphim, which comes from Hebrew, is mobile.
Julia is gentle, affectionate.

Top modern foreign names for girls according to the 2019 rating

The rating contains the following modern girl names: Eastern Azerbaijani, Turkish, Kazakh, Uzbek, Bashkir, Asian, Kyrgyz, Georgian, European, Belarusian, Moldavian and even foreign Polish, German, American and English. Let's consider the most interesting, unusual and beautiful options for babies of different nationalities and cultures. Muslim, Islamic names come from Turkic culture, some of them are taken from the Koran. Among them are the famous Arab ones - Zuhra, Aliya and Latifa; Persian - Gulnara, Dilyara, Firuza and Yasmina.

As Islamic culture spread, Zainab, Asiya, Fatima, known thanks to Islamic sacred texts, became popular among the eastern peoples. Uzbek babies receive names whose roots go deep into the history of Islam: Asmira means “the most feminine and beautiful princess.” Guldasta – “bouquet”. Dinora – “gold coin”. Zukhra – “beautiful”. Farkhunda - “happy”. Tatar girls are usually called Lucii, Albins, and Roses. Popular - Aisha, Vazikha, Bella, Nadiya. According to statistics, the most common Crimean Tatar girl name is Alina.

Girls of Kazakh nationality receive the names Aliya, Asiya, Asem, Bibigul, Botagoz, Gulmira. Caucasian peoples professing the Christian Catholic faith name their daughters in accordance with the desired qualities and with meaning. This is how Armenian girls are called: Amalia - pure, Azniv - honest, Azatui - freedom-loving, Gayane - keeper of the home. The leaders in the ranking of European options are Alena, Kira and Valeria. In Moldova, newborn girls are called Yaroslava, Sophia, and among non-traditional names Luna and Soare are the leaders.

Choosing a name for a child is a whole problem. Olga Vladimirovna Gorelova, a teacher at the Department of Russian Language at Far East State University, will tell you how to find a suitable, beautiful and at the same time rare option. In her words, every name is not just some combination of letters and sounds, it is the story of a person. From the moment a child is born and gets a name, he begins his journey. When choosing a name, you need to pay attention to ease of pronunciation, interpretation and combination with the patronymic. In addition, from our video story you can learn what you should not name your child.

Young mothers expecting their baby take a very long time to choose his name. Many are guided by fashion trends, calling the child a beautiful-sounding name that is not on the list of the Orthodox church calendar. Because of this, at baptism the child is given a different name. In this article we will tell you how to name a boy or girl according to the church calendar so that his destiny is happy and successful.

Immediately after the baptism of Kievan Rus, all Orthodox people baptized on the eighth day after the birth of babies according to the same rite (in our time this is usually done on the 40th day after physical birth). On this day, children were given the names of martyrs of the Orthodox Church. People believed that in this way children would be protected by the patron saint from grief and misfortune.

The clergy who performed the baptism ceremony wrote down every day the name of the saint that they had already assigned to the child.
Thus, over time, the “Saints of Saints” appeared - a book of memory of saints, which is being replenished to this day. Young parents often turn to this publication (you can look through it in church) or table (there are many of them published on the Internet) to choose a name for their newborn.
Unfortunately, choosing a name according to the church calendar is not always a conscious act, the purpose of which is to give the baby a guardian angel.
By naming a child with a rare old name, young parents simply want to make their child stand out from the crowd and do not delve into the true essence of the chosen name.

But in ancient times, our ancestors celebrated not the day of physical birth, but the day of “baptism” or name day (the day of veneration of the saint in whose honor the baby was named). Sometimes children were named not by the name of the saint on whose name day they were born, but in honor of other canonized great martyrs, whose name days fell on the next three days after the physical birth of the baby.

Female names according to the church calendar

If you have a daughter, you can choose a very beautiful name for your little princess according to the church calendar. It will not always have an unusual sound, which often causes surprise on the faces of people when they find out what name you gave your girl. Most of the names in the Saints are of Greek or Latin origin, so they sound the same as the worldly names that we are all accustomed to.

In this article, so that you do not have to contact a clergyman for advice and do not search for the necessary information on the Internet, we have compiled for you a list of female names according to the church calendar for each day and month of the current year.

Women's name days in January according to the church calendar

A girl born in the first winter month can be called:

Anastasia
Evgeniya
Claudia
Augusta
Agrippina
Anfisa
Maria
Agafya
Anna
Varvara
Matrona
Natalia
Anisya
Irina
Fedora
Fedosya
Melania
Emilia
Apollinaria
Tatiana
Eupraxia
Agnia
Elena
Ksenia
Nina

In addition, if your daughter was born on the name day of the saints according to the church calendar, on which all Orthodox churches hold solemn services, then you can call her the appropriate name in January:

4 January- Day of Remembrance of the Great Martyr Anastasia the Pattern Maker. The saint distributed everything she had at her disposal to those in need. She preached the Christian faith in prisons, ransomed prisoners and treated the sick. For such preaching activities, they first tried to starve Anastasia, then drown her, but she died a different death - she was burned alive at the stake.
The 25th of January- the day of remembrance of the holy martyr Tatiana, who at a young age became a nun and served Christ all her life.
January 27- the day of remembrance of Equal-to-the-Apostles Nina, the enlightener of Georgia, who, according to ancient legend, saw prophetic dreams through which she communicated with the Most Holy Theotokos.

Women's names in February according to the church calendar

Girls born in February can be named by the following names according to the church calendar:

Feodosia
Innoy
Agnia
Evdokia
Ekaterina
Ksenia
Maria
Olga
Jonah
Pelagia
Anna
Agafya
Alexandra
Vasilisa
Mafoy
Christina
Anastasia
Galina
Evgeniya
Fedora
Euphrosyne
Sofia

If your girl is born February 6, then call her Ksenia. On this day, Orthodox churches honor the memory of one of the greatest saints - Blessed Xenia of St. Petersburg, who deserved to be canonized with her devotion to God and her deceased husband. The saint became a widow at the age of 26. She was immersed in grief - she wore the costume of her late husband and responded only to his name. Every night she went out into the field to pray for her husband and build herself a small church not far from the Smolensk cemetery.

What to name a girl in March according to the church calendar?

Daughters born in March can be called by the following names according to the “Saints”:

Maria
Anna
Elizabeth
Irina
Olga
Praskovya
Anna
Kiroy
Marina
Antonina
Daria
Evdokia
Matrona
Hope
Martha
Iraida
Ekaterina
Ksenia
Anastasia
Claudia
Natalia

If your girl is born March 14th, then the best name for her would be Evdokia or Daria (this is the same name). On this day, churches hold services dedicated to the Venerable Martyr Evdokia. This saint led a sinful life for a long period of her life, but after meeting Elder Herman, she took monastic vows and began to serve Christ faithfully. She became famous during the persecution of Christians when she resurrected her dead wife through the prayer of one of the rulers of that time.

What to name a girl according to the church calendar in April?

If your baby was born in April, you can choose the following names for her:

Daria
Matron
Sofia
Alexandra
Claudia
Maria
Praskovya
Svetlana
Apollinaria
Vasilisa
Taisiya
Anastasia
Varvara
Lydia
Feodosia
Larisa
Zosima
Evdokia
Marfa
Galina
Irina

A girl born 14th of April, it is worth calling Mary in honor of the holy Venerable Mary of Egypt, who lived in the desert for 47 years, eating only roots and repenting of her sinful thoughts.

What to name a girl in May according to the church calendar?

Name your daughter, if she was born in the warmest month of spring, with the following church names:

Tamara
Matrona
Theodora
Alexandra
Elizabeth
Nobody
Glafira
Anastasia
Maria
Anna
Nina
Mavra
Pelagia
Irina
Taisiya
Glyceria
Muse
Evdokia
Euphrosyne
Claudia
Faina
Christina
Julia

If your girl was born on the name days of saints according to the Orthodox calendar, on which solemn church services are held, then you can name them with the corresponding names in May:

May 2– Memorial Day of the Blessed Matrona of Moscow, who predicted the future for people, saving them from troubles and grief.
May 14– Day of veneration of the Georgian Queen Tamara, whose reign was marked by the introduction of the Christian faith throughout the country.

Women's names in June according to the church calendar

If your baby was born in June, then according to the church calendar she should be named by a name from the following list:

Anastasia
Elena
Sophia
Euphrosyne
Maria
Ksenia
Jonah
Fedora
Faina
Feodosia
Christina
By faith
Martha
Sussana
Thekloy
Valeria
Zinaida
Antonina
Anna
Akulina
Alexandra
Pelagia

Women's names in July according to the church calendar

According to the church book, it is better to name girls born in July:

Maria
Innoy
Rimma
Juliania
Agrippina
Theodora
Joanna
Dinara
Angelina
Cosmoy
Alexandra
Anastasia
Martha
Olga
Tatiana
Anna
Varvara
Euphemia
Veronica
Sarah
Alevtina
Valentina
Julia
Margarita
Marina

In the church calendar, special days are the following name days:

July 17th- day of remembrance of Alexandra, Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia - the wife and daughters of the Russian Emperor Nicholas II, who were shot in St. Petersburg. One of the listed names can be called a girl born on this day.
July 18- day of remembrance of Elizabeth and Varvara, who had princely roots.
July 24- the day of remembrance of the great ruler of Kievan Rus - Princess Olga, who was baptized under the name Helen. A girl born on this day according to the church calendar can be called both Olga and Elena.

How to name a girl according to the 2017 church calendar in August?

According to the list of names in “Svyatki”, it is best to name a girl born in August:

Anna
Maria
Foca
Christina
Christina
Iraida
Olympics
Praskovya
Anfisa
Anastasia
Antonina
Elena
Irina
Mavra
Seraphim
Agnia
Angelina
Elizabeth
Evdokia
Nonna
Margarita
Sussana
Ksenia
Ulyana

If your daughter was born August 4, then it would be more correct to call her Maria. After all, on this day a great church holiday is celebrated in honor of Mary Magdalene, who for a long time led a sinful life, but was able to take the true path and until the end of her days she carried the news of Christ throughout the world.

What to name a girl born in September according to the church calendar?

According to the church calendar, girls who were born in the first autumn month are recommended to be named one of the following names:

Thekla
Marfa
Ariadne
Maria
Natalia
Anfisa
Elizabeth
Ksenia
Rufina
Seraphim
Elena
Iraida
Raisa
Tatiana
Evdokia
Maria
Lyudmila
Alexandra
Love
Irina
Hope
Sophia

In September there are many especially revered saints, after whom you can name your daughters if their date of birth coincides with their name day:

8 September- the day of Saint Natalia, who suffered for her faith in Jesus Christ.
September 14- day of veneration of Saint Elizabeth - mother of John the Baptist.
September 29- the day of remembrance of the holy martyr Lyudmila, who died at the hands of the pagan sister Dragomira.
September 30th- Day of Remembrance of Faith, Hope, Love and Sophia. These were great martyrs who endured great suffering because of their deep faith in Christ.

Women's names according to the 2017 church calendar in October

According to the Orthodox calendar, girls born in October are best called by the following names:

Ariadna
Euphrosyne
Irina
Sofia
Maria
Tatiana
Agnia
Jonah
Praskovya
Foca
Iraida
Akulina
Anna
Apollinaria
By faith
Feodosia
Veronica
Pelagia
Elizabeth
Hope
Taisiya
Eulampia
Zinaida
Golden

What to name a girl according to the church calendar in November?

According to the church calendar, girls born in November can be called:

Matrona
Pelagia
Anna
Elizabeth
Euphrosyne
Capitolina
Neoniloy
Praskovya
Fevronia
Agafya
Anastasia
Maria
Elena
Agrippina
Juliania
Evdokia
Svetlana
Evgeniya
Fedora
Alexandra
Jonah
Claudia
Nina
Seraphim
Olga
Stepanida

What to name a girl in December according to the church calendar?

If your daughter was born in December, then according to the “Saints” she can be named:

Anna
Tatiana
Thekloy
Praskovya
Augusta
Anisya
Evgeniya
Ekaterina
Antonina
By faith
Margarita
Maria
Matrona
Tamara
Fevronia
Glyceria
Anastasia
Varvara
Kiroy
Julia
Anfisa
Angelina
Eulalia
Jonah
Sussana

In December, Orthodox churches celebrate the name days of the following saints with ceremonial services:

December 7 – Memorial Day of the Great Martyr Catherine, who was distinguished by her impeccable beauty and high intelligence. She was able to convince 50 scientists that they needed to believe in Jesus Christ and for this she was beheaded.
December 17 – Memorial Day of the Great Martyr Barbara, who was beheaded by her own father because she joined the circles of preachers of the Christian faith.

Male names according to the church calendar

There are many more male names in the church calendar than female ones. Among them you can find a very beautiful and proud name of noble origin.

We invite you to use our selection from the Saints, which will help you choose a name for your son.

Male names in January according to the church calendar

According to the Orthodox calendar, boys born in January can be called by the following names:

Boniface
Gregory
Ilya
Timothy
Anton
Daniil
Ivan
Ignatius
Leonty
Nikita
Peter
Procopius
Sergei
Feofan
Dmitry
Fedor
Vasily
David
Makar
Nahum
Nifont
Pavel
Feoktistom
Innocent
Nikolai
Alexander
Efim
Isaac
Konstantin
Leonid
Nicodemus
Stepan
Tikhon
Joseph
We are proud

The church holds solemn services on the following days of veneration of saints:

1st of January- the day of the holy martyr Boniface, who suffered for his faith in the Son of God.
January 2- Memorial Day of John of Kronstadt. A boy born on this day can be called Ivan.
January 14- day of remembrance of the ascetic Great Basil.
January 15- the day of veneration of Seraphim of Sarov, who died in prayer before the icon of the Mother of God.
January 30- day of veneration of the father of monasticism, Anthony the Great.

Male names in February according to the church calendar

We present to you a list of Orthodox names, what to name a boy in February according to church calendar :

Anton
Arseny
Gregory
Makar
Peter
Savva
Efim
Zakhar
Lavrentiy
Leo
Maxim
Gabriel
Joseph
Leonty
Timothy
Makar
Jacob
Clement
Gennady
Denis
Vitaly
Anatoly
Boris
Clement
Philip
Arkady
Konstantin
Roman
Tryphon
Yuri

There are several special days in the church calendar when solemn services are held in honor of the veneration of certain saints:

February 3rd- the day of memory of Maxim the Greek, who spent many years under church supervision.
February 7 is the day of remembrance of St. Gregory the Theologian, who preached Christianity all his life.
February 27- day of remembrance of Cyril, who preached Christianity in Moravia in the Slavic language.

Male names in March according to the church calendar

If your son was born in March, then choose a name for him from the following list offered by the church calendar:

Daniel
Makar
Nikolai
Paul
Novel
Victor
Kuzma
Arkhip
Maksim
David
Leonty
Sidor
Philip
Yaroslav
Alexei
Anton
Taras
Sergey
Stepan
Nestor
Savva
Michael
Konstantin
Afanasy
Sofron
Trofim
Julian

Several name days are especially revered by the church in March:

5th of March- the day of remembrance of Yaroslav the Wise, famous for his good deeds for the people of Kievan Rus.
March 17- the day of Prince Daniil of Moscow, who accepted the schema before his death.
30th of March- the day of the Monk Alexy, who exchanged married life with an unloved one for the service of God.

Male names in April according to the church calendar

According to the church calendar, it is recommended to name boys born in the most blooming month of spring:

Dmitry
Ivan
Innocent
Vasily
Victor
Vissarion
Sevastyan
Georgiy
Zakhar
Tikhon
Stepan
Gabriel
Kondratiem
Hilarion
Foma
Polycarp
Efim
Nikita
Methodius
Prokhorom

What to name a boy according to the church calendar in May?

The Saints provides the following list of names for boys born in May:

Anton
Victor
Felix
Alexander
Basil
Nikolai
Gregory
Lazarus
Dmitriy
Leonty
Sergey
Fedot
Philemon
Valerian
Clement
Nikifor
Maksim
Vitaly

The Church honors several saints with a special liturgical service:

the 6th of May- Day of Remembrance of St. George the Victorious, a courageous and brave warrior. He died a martyr's death and was thrown on the wheel.
May 24- Day of Remembrance of Cyril and Methodius.

What to name a boy according to the church calendar in June?

If your son was born in June, then according to the church calendar the boy should be called:

Alexander
Anton
Valentin
Victor
Matvey
Pavel
Joseph
Makar
Fedor
Mikhail
Stepan
Ivan
Leonty
Philip
Denis
Julian
Nazar
Ignatius
Taras
Nikon
Moses

Several days according to the Orthodox calendar are especially revered:

June 1st- Day of Remembrance of Dmitry Donskoy, who united the Russian lands.
June 18- the day of veneration of Prince Igor of Chernigov, killed by an angry crowd.

Male names according to the 2017 church calendar in July

Boys born in July should receive the following names according to the church calendar:

Leonty
Nikanor
Varlaam
Paisiy
Andrey
Terenty
Alexander
Jacob
Nikita
Ambrose
Basil
Arkady
Konstantin
Sergey
Hermann
Paul
Leonid

July, 12 There is a special holiday in the church calendar - the day of veneration of Paul and Peter. It is recommended to name boys born on this day by the names of these saints.

Men's name days in August according to the church calendar

If your son was born in August, this means that according to the church calendar, one of the following names will suit him:

Gregory
Mitrofan
Novel
Cornelius
Alexei
Vitaly
Makar
Fedor
Basil
Paul
Julian
Nikolai
Konstantin
Denis
Emelyan
Savva

If your son was born August 2, then according to the canons of the church it would be more correct to call him Elijah, since on this day the Orthodox worship the prophet Elijah.

Male names in September according to the church calendar

Boys born in the first month of autumn should receive the following church names:

Nikolai
Andrey
Feofan
Arseny
Jacob
Paul
Savva
Leonid
Victor
Dmitriy
Julian
Georgiy
Daniel
Nicodemus
Fedot
Seraphim
Lukyan
Sergey
Khariton
Michael

How to name a boy according to the 2017 church calendar in October?

If you gave birth to a boy in October, then when you look at the Saints, you will see the following list of names:

Alexei
Boris
Benjamin
Hilarion
Igor
Sergey
Trofim
Savva
Konstantin
Issac
Makar
Anton
Dmitriy
Afanasy
Philemon
Gregory
Matvey
Tryphon

If a child is born 2 October, then the name Alexander is best suited for him, since on this day Alexander Nevsky is revered by the church. Born October 8 The name Sergei is suitable, because on this day Orthodox Christians commemorate the great wonderworker Sergius of Radonezh.

What to name a boy according to the church calendar in November?

Women who became mothers of sons in November can choose the following name for them according to the church calendar:

Dmitriy
Evsey
Leonty
Hermann
Basil
Paul
Irakli
Anton
Konstantin
Arkady
Maximilian
Seraphim
Emelyan
Elisha
Afanasy
Kuzma
Matvey

If your child was born on the day of the Apostle Philip, November 27, then name him in honor of this saint.

What to name a boy according to the church calendar in December?

Boys born in the last month of the year are best called by the following names according to the church calendar:

Arkhip
Plato
Valentine
Timofey
Fedor
Joseph
Alexander
Philemon
Mitrofan
Victor
Julian
Nikifor
Daniel
Andrey
Vladimir
Stepan
Hypaty
Tryphon

If your baby is born December 13th, name him Andrey in honor of St. Andrew the First-Called, and if 19 - then Nicholas, since on this day the Orthodox reverence the wonderworker Nicholas.

At the end of this article, I would like to note that in fact, a name should be given to a child with soul and heart. Any mother, as soon as she sees her baby for the first time, will immediately, without a doubt, give him a name that will bring only happiness and joy into his life.

Video: “How to choose a name for a child according to the church calendar?”

If buying a crib or the first wardrobe for a newborn baby is a pleasant, but transient, temporary concern for young parents, then the most important action of this first period of life is choosing a name for the little person. After all, it is given forever.

What's in a name?

The question, once asked by Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin, especially worries the female ear, which is sensitive to euphonious combinations of syllables. An Orthodox name for a girl, pleasant in its full form, may turn out to be the basis for an offensive nickname in a shortened version. Not every mature young lady agrees to be Vasya from Vasilisa or Sonya from Sofia. Even in the diminutive version Vasechka or Vasyon there is a “boyish” beginning that is clearly discerned by society. To add to Sofia’s chagrin, for example, the mockery of her classmates when reading Dostoevsky’s lines about Sonechka Marmeladova can be added.

All this must be taken into account if the family is not firm in the faith. If the Orthodox vision of the world is instilled in children from childhood, all the inconveniences associated with bearing the name given in Holy Baptism are perceived as akin to martyrdom. And yet, a church-going family, when choosing girls’ names according to the Orthodox calendar, must take into account the prospects for their daughters’ future life in the world, and not in a monastery. The names of the Persian martyrs, which sound strange to the ears of a European, recommended by excessive zealots “strictly according to the calendar,” are better left for the nuns of the convent.

Are there “hard and fast” selection rules?

Christianity does not impose absolutely any dogma on the naming of babies. Orthodox names for girls by month and date, in other words, according to the calendar, is only one of the possible selection strategies when parents, who have no options of their own, go to the priest for advice.

If in an unchurched family the daughter is named by a pagan name (for example, Diana, Snezhana or Lyubomira), at baptism the consonant, most similar-sounding option is chosen - Daria, Svetlana, Lyudmila. Some designs in the calendar look different than in folk practice (for example, Akilina, not Akulina). Perhaps no prudent priest would insist on a strictly ecclesiastical version (for example, Photinia instead of Svetlana), although the latter, Slavic, non-Greek version is not on the lists.

The sacred right of parents is to name their child in honor of great-grandparents, no matter how far the days of celebration of the corresponding heavenly patrons are from the date of birth of the child. A rare Orthodox name for a girl can become one of the family heirlooms passed down from generation to generation.

We must not forget about the euphonious combination of a name and a patronymic, because the daughter, having matured, will be worthy of a respectful full name by her acquaintances, neighbors, and work colleagues.

Foreign analogues of Orthodox calendars

Perhaps many are not aware of the similar meaning of completely different sounding names. So, the Latin Catholic Clarissa, Clara (English Claire), Israeli Liora, Greek Faina, Ukrainian Yasna - means the same as Svetlana. The translation of all these names is the same - “light, shining.”

Thus, by choosing any of the listed options as a “passport” (or having it initially before baptism), you can ask for the church naming of Svetlana (or, if desired, Photinia).

It’s still not worth it to be unconditionally seduced by the heterodox pleasantness of harmonies. Beautiful Orthodox names for girls exist, and in considerable quantities.

Giving a holiday for the baby

Name days are that unique calendar celebration that parents are free to choose and give to their little daughter. It is better if they are located not far from the birthday. The proximity or combination of birth and namesake holidays is justified in all respects. The latter may also coincide with the anniversary of baptism.

Find a suitable Orthodox name for a girl by scrolling through the calendar in the next forty days after the date of birth. It was during this period that from time immemorial it was customary to perform the sacrament of baptism over a newborn.

Some name days are not repeated in the calendar. Thus, January’s Nina and Tatyana, spring’s Tamara, and July’s Olga for a long time had a single celebration date, sometimes (like Tamar – “palm tree”), which overlaps in numbers.

The twentieth century, with the blood of new martyrs and confessors, inscribed numerous new days of memory of holy women into the Russian calendar. In our time, it is much easier to choose familiar, non-exotic names for girls according to the Orthodox calendar than a century ago.

Heavenly patrons

When looking for Orthodox names for girls by month, it would be a good idea to read the Lives of the saints after whom the baby is named. This work can also be done by godparents who intend to become more than nominal mentors in the faith.

To a certain extent, the virtues demonstrated by the heavenly patron determine the path of a person’s life. An Orthodox name for a girl is not an empty phrase. “One’s own” saint is an example to follow, a reason for reflection, she is also a wise adviser (this can be reflected not only in hagiographic literature, but also in one’s own notes and thoughts left as a legacy, for example, by the new martyrs - Queen Alexandra, her sister Elizabeth, the crown princesses ).

Some names that have become feminine over time were originally masculine. Accordingly, representatives of the stronger sex still remain heavenly patrons. Such are the 2nd century martyrs from Scythia Rimma, Inna and Pinna, who suffered with them (the latter name is practically not used in Rus'). When choosing girls' names according to the Orthodox calendar, this circumstance also needs to be taken into account.

The monastic practice of naming women analogues of male names with common heavenly patrons - Nikolai, Arsenia, Alexia - can help parents who are seduced by foreign exoticism. For example, at baptism, Nikolai can be given to a girl who was previously named by the French name Nicole.

"Onomatology" by Father Pavel Florensky

Another guideline of a more secular nature than the calendar and Life, thanks to which an Orthodox name for a girl can be chosen. In our age, when people who call themselves believers do not consider astrological forecasts, fortune telling from the book of changes and tree calendars of the Druids to be empty eccentricities, this amazing research by Florensky is comparable to a truly scientific dissertation.

If it doesn’t seem like the best option for parents to choose Orthodox names for girls by month, it is recommended to find Father Paul’s book to see from experience: it’s definitely worth reading! The monograph is full of strange, mysterious, but often very plausible statements - predictions of fate. Some of them actually seem to come true. For example, a forecast that in the family of a person named Vladimir Vladimirovich, as a rule, daughters are born, not sons.