Orthodox names

[Verushka]

I've noticed orthodox names mentioned here occasionally. I'd like to know what does it mean? Do people change their names officially to match their patron Saints when they convert? Or are people just called by their patron Saint name in the church. It's just something that wasn't even mentioned when I converted. :)
Verushka :confused:

[choirfiend]

Some people may legally change their names (not common). More people go by their baptismal/chrismation name around all church people, the vast majority only go by their baptismal name when Fr. speaks it at the chalice or in conjunction with the church sacramental life. Personal preference.

[Vasya Davidovich]

1. Some people may legally change their names (not common).
2. More people go by their baptismal/chrismation name around all church people.
3. The vast majority only go by their baptismal name when Fr. speaks it at the chalice or in conjunction with the church sacramental life.
Personal preference.
(Numbering mine.)


There is a fourth category. Those who do not use their baptismal names on any occasion. I have attended a parish where it is accepted practice for the priest to address the parishioners at the chalice by their given prebaptismal names (including non-Christian names, such as Harold or Diane). To this day, I don't know the baptismal names of certain of these parishioners.

[The Prokeimenon!]

My Priest frequently calls me by my legal name at the Chalice. It's okay- he's got a lot of names to try to remember and my legal name is a good Christian name too.

He also tends to call me "Reader" when I approach the Chalice, which I'm not yet (I'm scheduled for tonsuring in November :clap: )

The best, though, is the Deacon at my old Parish, who had a tendency to fumble his words. He would call me and others "The Reader of God." :D

Everybody at my workplace knows me as Moses, which is pretty cool. It's like consolidating your Church and "world" lives into one big "Church life." :)

Moses

[Vasya Davidovich]

I decided to make it easy on everyone, and about a year after I had all my friends start calling me by my baptismal name (ie. a year after my Chrismation), I had it changed legally.

[Khaleas]

After our Orthodox wedding (in 2 months and 1 day :D ) I'm going to add my baptismal name as my middle name. I might actually do it as soon as I get home so I can get all my paperwork changed before I have to travel again (such a pain since I'm always going somewhere and the paperwork has to match).

[Kolya]

I'd love to legally change to my baptimal name, but there's just too much red tape in this country to even know where to begin. I'd have to take off work for 3 weeks.:)

[Khaleas]

I'd love to legally change to my baptimal name, but there's just too much red tape in this country to even know where to begin. I'd have to take off work for 3 weeks.:)

Yea, the lovely Finnish government just added some paperwork requirements for stuff coming from the US so I'm gonna have to pay a notary even more. Have to ask Kevin if the Navy supplies notary services to their dependents... I'm guessing they might since they supply attorney services, tax services etc. Question is just where I can find it LOL...

[Kolya]

Yea, the lovely Finnish government just added some paperwork requirements for stuff coming from the US so I'm gonna have to pay a notary even more. Have to ask Kevin if the Navy supplies notary services to their dependents... I'm guessing they might since they supply attorney services, tax services etc. Question is just where I can find it LOL...

Aren't govenments so nice and loving. Yea, NOT!
A friend at church needed a copy of his birth certificate, so he called the local dept of home affairs, and they said there was no waiting, he could come in, and it would cost $10.00. So he gets there.
True, there are no lines. He walks up to the counter, and they tell him they're off-line - he'll have to come back the next day. He complains that he had just called and told his story. They send him to another counter, and a bored looking woman says she can help him. So she starts to print the 'Document', but oh dear, it's the wrong one. "We're so sorry, but you'll have to come back tomorrow." He looks at her, pulls out $50 and says, why don't you get some soda's and stuff for your friends. In no time the correct document is printed and he's on his way.
Corruption! One must pay for everything these days!

[HandmaidenOfGod]

I actually just got my Saint’s name this weekend even though I’m cradle Orthodox. J

I was somehow baptized with the name Maureen even though there is no St. Maureen in Orthodoxy. (I guess since it is an Irish derivative of Mary the priest who baptized me thought it was okay. He has since fallen asleep in the Lord.)

Well this left me without a patron saint.

So after much thought and prayer, I have chosen the Theotokos as my patron saint, with Oct. 1 being my name day. J

I discussed it with my priest, and he is okay with it, and has already started calling me Mary at the chalice. (This just tickles me!)

I don’t know if other parishioners will start to call me Mary, but I’m cool with leaving it at the chalice.

In XC,

Maureen

[ufonium2]

My first name literally means "servant of God." My middle name is "Angeline." My last (maiden) name is Old English for "cleric." So I already had three, count 'em, three Christian names. So I was a little miffed to find out that none of my three names was "good enough" in some Church circles, because they're not Eastern.
So Angeline (English and French diminuative of "Angela") is not OK, but Angelina (Slavic diminuative of the exact same name) is great. Seems a little self-hating, if you ask me.

I have a cradle (ethnically Russian) Orthodox friend who has never heard of the concept of Orthodox names and gets called "Jenny" at the chalice. St. Vladimir's Christian name was Basil, but nobody ever calls him that.

I have no problem if someone wants to change their name, or go by another name, for any reason. Heck, my mom changed hers because she was tired of having it mispronounced all the time. But I was baptized with a slew of good Christian names, which just happened to be from Western Europe (which was Orthodox long before Russia was), and it's my decision to stick with them whenever possible.

We were called by our given (Christian, but not Eastern) names at our wedding, in fact. Otherwise, there would've been a 50/50 chance that my grandpa would've blurted out "Who are they talking about?" at least once in the service. :)

[Khaleas]

My first name literally means "servant of God." My middle name is "Angeline." My last (maiden) name is Old English for "cleric." So I already had three, count 'em, three Christian names. So I was a little miffed to find out that none of my three names was "good enough" in some Church circles, because they're not Eastern.
So Angeline (English and French diminuative of "Angela") is not OK, but Angelina (Slavic diminuative of the exact same name) is great. Seems a little self-hating, if you ask me.

I have a cradle (ethnically Russian) Orthodox friend who has never heard of the concept of Orthodox names and gets called "Jenny" at the chalice. St. Vladimir's Christian name was Basil, but nobody ever calls him that.

I have no problem if someone wants to change their name, or go by another name, for any reason. Heck, my mom changed hers because she was tired of having it mispronounced all the time. But I was baptized with a slew of good Christian names, which just happened to be from Western Europe (which was Orthodox long before Russia was), and it's my decision to stick with them whenever possible.

We were called by our given (Christian, but not Eastern) names at our wedding, in fact. Otherwise, there would've been a 50/50 chance that my grandpa would've blurted out "Who are they talking about?" at least once in the service. :)

Congrats and Many Years to begin with!! Welcome back... I have two months and a day to go to our wedding...

In Finland they use a lot of the names that are derived from saints... such as Jenny, which comes from Johanna (Hannah) which comes from Johannes (John) (ex. John the Baptist). That way they get a larger variety of names...

[Verushka]

Interesting, thank you for the information :)
My babtismal name is a diminutive from my patron Saint. Now when I'm getting married and have to change all my ID papers anyway, it would be easy to change my name at the same time. Well, I haven't decided it yet, we'll see..

[Theophorus]

My Christian name is almost the same as my given name. But it is of a western saint. As a matter of fact it is the name of two western saints, both from spain. Vincent.
So when I say it at the chalice when visiting, the priest often has to pause and think it over, then a realization comes and I am allowed to approach.

[Photini]

My daughter's baptismal name is after an Event, rather than a Saint. Her name is Evangelia, for the Annunciation. :)