Today, every Justin and every Corinna, Corinne, Corina or even Cora you know has a small connection to the Greek name day calendar. In Greek homes the names on today’s list are wider and more unusual too, but these are the ones that travel most easily into everyday Canadian life, from a co-worker named Justin to a classmate named Corinne.
Justin comes from the Latin name Justinus, built on justus, meaning just, fair or upright. It entered Greek as Ιουστίνος and has moved comfortably across languages ever since, which is why the same name can sound equally at home in Montreal, Athens or Rome. Corinna, from ancient Greek Κόριννα, is linked to κόρη, “maiden” or “young girl,” and carries a distinctly classical Greek lineage, remembered especially through the lyric poet Corinna of Tanagra; modern forms such as Κορίνα, Corinna, Corinne and Corina all belong to that same family.
The name day tradition comes from Eastern Orthodox Christianity: a person’s name day is the feast day of the saint after whom they were named at baptism.
That gives today a nice range of personalities to think about. There is the Justin in the office whose fairness makes him the one people trust when a situation needs a steady read. There is also the Corinna or Cora in your circle who brings a certain poise to a room, or the university friend named Corinne whose voice always seems a little more thoughtful, a little more literary, than everyone else rushing through the day. And if your family includes a cousin named Korina or a neighbour named Corina, today is an easy reason to reach out.
Other Greek names marked today include Gerakina, Evelpistos, Thespesios, Ierax, Pyrros, Triada and Kore, each with its own older texture and story. Even when some of these forms stay mostly within Greek usage, they show how name days can open a conversation about language, history and the long journeys names take.
Chronia Polla! to everyone celebrating today, in Greek and non-Greek circles alike. Text a Justin, Corinna or Cora a quick happy name day and you may end up sharing one of the most portable and generous Greek traditions with someone who did not even know it was theirs.
