What to name a boy: a rare and beautiful name according to the Orthodox calendar. Names for children: recommendations for choosing

The tradition of naming a child in honor of a saint goes back centuries - in Rus' it appeared after the adoption of Orthodoxy. It was believed that a person who bears the name of a saint has a close connection with him and even adopts some of his good qualities and strength. Moreover, parents, giving a child a name in honor of a powerful saint, count on the fact that this saint will be in everything life path the baby will be protected from dark forces evil will be his guardian angel. A name in honor of a particular canonized saint was chosen by parents or a clergyman according to the Saints, or Monthly Book - a list of names of canonized saints, compiled by months and dates. In the Saints, or in the Orthodox church calendar, each date is a church holiday, or a day of remembrance of a saint. Almost every day of the year is the day of remembrance of at least one saint, and in some cases there may be up to several dozen of them on the same date. The same name in the Orthodox church calendar corresponds to several dates at once - on these days the person named in honor of the saint celebrates his name day.

Names according to the calendar in the church calendar

The church calendar is an inexhaustible source of names even for modern parents who are not always true believers and Christians who observe all traditions. The fact is that the list of names of saints currently contains more than 1000 names of very different origins. Among them there are names of Slavic and Greek origin, Latin and Hebrew names. Many names from the Saints are currently an anachronism, but in last years There has been a tendency to name a child with a rare, little-used name. In the event that parents want to choose a rare and unusual name, The Saints are a wonderful source of inspiration.

How to choose the right name for a child according to the Saints?

According to the rules, parents choose a name for their child according to the Saints, based on his date of birth. Most often they look at which saints are commemorated on the child’s birthday, but it is permissible to choose a name among the names of saints whose memory is celebrated on the eighth day from the child’s birth. This tradition is connected with the fact that in ancient times it was on the eighth day that the child’s naming celebration was held. If there are no suitable names that fall on the child’s birthday, as well as on the eighth day from the day of his birth, then we can choose a name from those that fall on the fortieth day from the child’s birth. This tradition is connected with the fact that it was on the fortieth day that the child was brought to the temple for baptism. As an exception, a child can be named after a particularly revered saint in the family.

There are significantly more male names in the Saints than female ones. Therefore, girls can be named after a male saint, if there is a usable analogue male name in the female version: so, if the date of birth of a girl falls on the day of remembrance of St. Eugene (Victor, Alexandra, Anastasia, Apollinaria), then it is permissible to name her Eugene (Victoria, Alexandra, Anastasia, Polina) in honor of a male saint, choosing him as a patron for child.

The church calendar is not just a sequential list of all Orthodox holidays, but also an extensive encyclopedia of names. Often, it is he who parents turn to when making a responsible decision (for example, what to name their newborn child). This is a serious process that requires a lot of attention from future parents. The name that is given to the child at birth will go with him throughout his life. In addition, under the baptismal name he will stop to answer before God.

If you decide to name your child simply, for example, Nicholas or Alexandra, then in the Saints there are many options for patron saints for the baby. But those parents who want to give their son or daughter an unusual name, which has no analogues in the monthly word, should also choose for the child baptismal name. You can't always handle this on your own. To do this, it is recommended to contact spiritual mentor or to the priest who will perform the Sacrament of Baptism.

This topic is especially relevant for parents of girls. In recent years, newborns have often been given exotic names. Sometimes such a desire occurs even in deeply religious families. Many people are wondering what to do in this case? In reality there is no problem here. Even great saints often had two names: the one they bore before baptism, and the one they accepted with God. Most shining example– Vladimir the Great, who, having converted to Christianity, took the name Vasily. So the main thing is to choose a baptismal name according to the calendar. This process has some subtleties and rules that are established thanks to traditions.

Options for choosing a name for a girl by church calendar the following:

1. named after the patron saint, whose memory is honored on the baby’s birthday;
2. in honor of the saint who patronizes the eighth day from the birth of a child;
3. in honor of that saint, to whose memory the fortieth day of her daughter’s birth is dedicated.

It should be explained why such importance was given to the eighth and fortieth days. According to tradition, the eighth day was considered the “naming day.” It was then that the family chose a name for the born heir. There was also an opinion among the people that in the first forty days after childbirth, both the woman in labor and her baby are vulnerable, but not protected by anything. In this regard, only on the fortieth day did they go to the temple and perform the Sacrament of Baptism.

Why is it important to choose a patron saint according to the Saints?

There are many different superstitions and misconceptions that prevent parents from adequately assessing the need the right choice name. In the popular consciousness, these misconceptions often contradict themselves.

For example, it is believed that a child cannot be named after a deceased relative. Perhaps because of this, the baby will repeat the fate of the deceased ancestor. At the same time, in many families, some names are traditionally passed on from generation to generation. The situation is similar with the names of saints. It is superstitiously believed that a child named after a martyr will himself lead a martyr's life. Those who believe in this usually overlook the following point: there are a huge number of saints in the month. Often one name corresponds to several dozen Orthodox figures, among whom there may be martyrs, saints, monks, those who ended their lives peacefully and without suffering.

The name does not in any way affect the fate of the child and does not convey to him the fate of the namesake of deceased relatives or saints. A heavenly patron is one who will invisibly protect a person from adversity all his life. It is no coincidence that he is considered a guardian angel, and name day is also called “angel’s day.” There is also a practical point in naming children this way. Parents, especially believers, hope that, having before them an example of righteousness and purity of thoughts, the child will follow the right example of serving the Lord.

Thus, parents have a great responsibility, which is why many (even despite the emerging fashion for exotic names) prefer the traditional path: naming the child according to the Saints.

Choosing a name for a girl by month

What do you call a girl born in a certain month? The month book comes to the rescue. Of course, there are a lot of outdated, irrelevant names there. If you name your daughter, for example, Akulina, then her peers may start teasing her.

Some modern popular names have completely unexpected analogues in the Saints. For example, Dina is supposed to be baptized as Evdokia. Margaret corresponds to Saint Marina in the calendar. There is a lot in the Saints of Ulyan - but today modern form"Juliana" does not appear as often as in the Orthodox calendar.

The leaders in prevalence both in life and in the month of the month, of course, remain the names Anna and Maria. Alexandra, Elizabeth and Anastasia are slightly inferior to them.

Below we offer lists of the most common Orthodox names by month.

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

Try to take into account not only personal preferences, fashion, political situation, but also the time of year in which the baby will be born.
After all, it has long been noticed that the time of year influences the child’s character, and taking into account these centuries-old observations, the choice of name can emphasize and strengthen, or, conversely, dampen some properties of the baby’s nature. Today, many parents, before naming their baby, look at various boys names by month and choose the most suitable name for the baby in the calendar according to its meaning.

Currently, choosing non-standard, rare or even unique names from the calendar is becoming increasingly popular. At the same time, it is very difficult to come up with a euphonious and meaningful name “from scratch,” and many of these modern and fashionable names for boys are modified “ordinary” names, or a compilation of the names of different peoples, for example, from Old Church Slavonic and European languages.

And even if you do not want to give your child a “foreign” name, some imagination and a desire to experiment can result in an original name that matches the baby’s character. But if everything is more or less clear with Russian names, then it would be useful to explain the meaning of some foreign names; in addition, we will try to give several examples of “derivatives” obtained from them.

So, Alex. This name can be obtained by shortening the names Alexander or Alexey. More often it is interpreted according to the second “source”, and its meaning is “protector, faithful friend.” In turn, is a source short form Alec, which can also be a separate name.

Daniel. This name has a complex meaning, one of the possible interpretations of which is “subject to God.” In modern families, children often receive shortened versions of this name - Dani, Dan, Danil, and so on.

Martin is a name derived from the nickname of the god of war - Mars and has a corresponding meaning - “brave warrior”.

Christian is one of the “strong” male names that emphasizes strength of character. Derivatives – Chris, Christo.

Thus, even the names of “modern” boys have ancient and meaningful roots. And when choosing a name for a child, it is not a bad idea to study the history and meaning of the name you like, no matter how sonorous and appropriate it may seem. After all, a child’s name is given for life, and you will no longer be able to cancel this choice. So approach this responsibly, and let your baby’s name help him grow up as a worthy person, and not conflict with his character and inclinations.

Let's take a closer look at the options for the most suitable names for boys according to months of the year, and also what manifestations of character are inherent in a child born in a particular month. Below you can also see the list

For a believer, the question of a name has always been of great importance. It was believed that through a name, not only character traits, but also destiny are transmitted to a person. The names of such heroes of faith as Isaac, Jacob and Abraham were very common in early Christianity. By giving the baby such a name, the parents wanted to make him involved in the holiness and glory that his original owner had.

In Rus', along with the adoption of Orthodoxy, a tradition arose of giving names in honor of saints. What is the meaning of tradition? From the point of view of Christianity, a person who bears the name of a saint has a close connection with him. The saint, who has proven his faith and devotion to God with his entire life or martyrdom, now from heaven helps a person on his difficult life path, drives away demons, in general, patronizes him.

With the name of the saint, a part of holiness and strength seemed to be transferred to the baby. Saint's name ( church name) for the child was chosen by the parents from the calendar and given by the clergyman at baptism.

The Saints (or church calendar) is a list of saints, distributed by month and date (see below). Each date in such a calendar is a church holiday - the day of remembrance of the corresponding saint (which mainly falls on the day of the saint's death). During the centuries-old history of its existence, the calendar was constantly replenished with new names. Now the Church celebrates the memory of some saint almost every day.

Today, as before, Christian families do not name children by random names - the child is given a name mainly in honor of canonized saints. Usually the name is chosen according to the calendar or in honor of a specific saint revered in a given family, emphasizing one’s special attitude towards him. On the day of remembrance of his saint, a person celebrates his name day (See. name day calendar).

The modern church calendar contains more than 1,100 completely different names. A significant part of the names in the calendar are of Slavic, Greek and Hebrew origin; there are names that arose due to the Latin language group. Among them there are many that not only have not lost their vitality, but are also becoming more and more popular. It is safe to say that the church calendar is an inexhaustible source of names with enormous internal energy.

Church calendar (saints) by month

Learn about the meaning and characteristics of names

What name to choose for the baby? Should we take into account fleeting fashion or age-old cultural traditions? The answers are in the article. As a bonus: a detailed table with the names of the boys and the patron saints for January.

Saints - not just a church calendar indicating the days of remembrance of saints and the circle church holidays. This is, first of all, Short story Christianity, since each name in this calendar is associated with some person or event important to Orthodoxy.
By naming your baby after the Saints, you allow him to become part of Orthodox traditions.

How to choose a name for a child according to the church calendar?

Many parents complain that the names in the Saints do not always correspond to what they want. In addition, many names in the Saints are quite dissonant (from the point of view modern man). But this does not mean that parents have no choice.
You can choose a name according to the Saints, focusing on several key dates:

1. On the baby's date of birth
2. For dates between the date of birth and the date of baptism of the child
3. On the date of the baby’s baptism and a few days ahead from the date of baptism

Important: our ancestors considered the day of naming a child to be the eighth day from the date of his birth.

Choosing a name for a boy according to the Saints

Agree, having 30-40 dates with names at your disposal, you can always choose a wonderful name for your baby. The main thing is that the fate and deeds of the saint, whose name you are going to name the baby, inspire both him and you to a life full of light, wisdom and creativity.

Choosing a name for the youngest member of the family usually causes heated debate. The wise remark of Theophan the Recluse will reconcile all the relatives and friends of the baby: “Here the matter will be without any human considerations, as God wills: for birthdays are in the hands of God.”

Rely on the wisdom of the Elder and open the Saints and continue reading the article. Below you will find names for boys corresponding Orthodox calendar for January. The tables also contain information about the meaning of each name, its origin, and the patron saint of the name.

Boys' names according to the Saints - January: meaning, origin, patron saint

January is a harsh month and this cannot but affect children born this month. Among the virtues of January babies: patience, determination and restraint. You can see names in other months in the articles: , ,

Nativity of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. IN Orthodox traditions It is not customary to name children after Jesus Christ. If you nevertheless chose the name Jesus for your son, then the patron saint of the baby will be the holy righteous Joshua (but the name day date will not be January 7!)

Video: Is it possible to give a child a name not according to the church calendar? Priest Igor Silchenkov