As soon as it becomes clear that the family is expected to replenish, parents begin to choose a name for the child. And it often turns out that everyone already has certain preferences in this regard: mom always wanted a daughter, Elizabeth, and dad - Eugene, because that was the name of his grandmother. Disagreements begin, to which older relatives often join.
Sometimes parents decide to name a girl according to the calendar or name their son in memory of some great person. How can you name according to the church calendar?
It turns out that every day in the church calendar of the Orthodox Church is the day of some righteous person. The lives of the saints are huge heavy books with the mention of thousands of martyrs and saints. Usually, the memory of the one who pleased God is appointed on the day of death, that is, the end of the earthly life of this righteous person and the beginning of heavenly life. There have been many righteous people for two thousand years, so not even one, but several saints are glorified every day.
To give a name to a girl according to the holy calendar, you need to open the Orthodox church calendar and view the list of names of the righteous on her birthday. It is likely that there will be no holy women in it. In Orthodoxy, in general, there are significantly fewer of them than holy men. This is, of course, not due to the fact that there are more righteous males. It's just that women are always less visible, their destiny is solitary monasticism, and not the priesthood, bishopric or missionary work. That is why not so many righteous women, martyrs and confessors have been glorified. So with all the desire to give a name to a girl according to the calendar, there may simply not be a female name on the calendar on the baby's birthday.
This, of course, does not mean that we should abandon this idea or somehow alter male names. There are several traditions of naming: on the day of birth, on the eighth after birth (name day), on the fortieth (traditional day of baptism). Therefore, the name of the girl according to the holy calendar can be chosen from the three days mentioned. But it may well be that they all do not contain acceptable female names.
In this case, you should choose the nearest name that is celebrated after the baby's birthday. For example, the names of girls according to the holy calendar September offers the following: Thekla (September 1), Vassa (3), Anfusa and Eulalia (4). Then for several days not a single female name is mentioned, and finally, on September 8, Mts is celebrated. Nataliya. On September 9, the mts is glorified. Anfisa, and then only on September 14, Rev. Martha, who was the mother of Simeon the Stylite. Already from this list, given as an example, it is clearly visible that it is not so easy to choose the names of girls according to the holy calendar.
November, for example, provides even fewer common, simple female names than September. There are Matrona, Eudoxia, Stephanida, but not every modern parent would dare to call a child an old and unusual name. Although recently the attitude towards exotic names has changed. If 20 years ago they frightened, now they are more likely to attract.
Choosing a name for a child is a responsible matter. After all, it is necessary to take into account not only the desire of mom and dad, two grandmothers and two grandfathers, but also correlate the chosen option with the patronymic and surname. And also find out how the home, abbreviated version will sound. Therefore, it may be true, to leave all this to God and hope that the name that fell out according to the calendar will suit the daughter best of all?!
