Today’s Greek name day travels further than the family group chat. If you know an Emiliano, Emilia or even an Emily, you are already close to the name being celebrated in Greek homes today: Aimilianos and Aimiliani. It is the kind of name day that can turn into an easy Canadian conversation, a quick text to a classmate, colleague or neighbour who may never have heard of the custom but still shares the name.
The name Aimilianos comes from the Greek Αιμιλιανός, which was borrowed from the Latin Aemilianus, meaning “belonging to Aemilius.” Aemilius was a well-known Roman family name, usually connected with the old Latin word aemulus, “rival,” “emulator,” or “one who strives to equal or surpass.” Through Latin and later European forms, that same name family spread widely, giving us Emilian, Emiliano, Emilie, Emilia and Emily.
In the Eastern Orthodox Christian tradition, a person’s name day is the feast day of the saint after whom they were named at baptism.
There is something lively and quietly driven in this name family. You can picture the cousin Emily who is always the first to volunteer, the Emiliano at work who never leaves a job half-finished, or the theia Aimiliani whose energy fills the room before she says very much. Even when the forms change from Greek to English, Italian or French, the name keeps that sense of movement and effort, the feeling of someone who does not stand still for long.
So if there is an Aimilianos in your family, an Emilia in your contacts, or an Emily in your office, today is a good day to reach out. Chronia Polla! to everyone celebrating, in Greek and non-Greek circles alike, and especially to the friend who may be delighted to learn that today, they have a Greek name day too.
