Today’s name day has one of those distinctly Greek sounds that still travels well across languages. Apollonia leads the day, alongside Asterios, Aster, Zenobia, Zenobius and the rarer Cleopas, so this is a good moment to think not only of a theia or papou but also of the friend, co-worker or classmate whose name carries the same old Greek thread.
Apollonia comes from Greek Ἀπολλωνία, the feminine form of Apollonios, built on the divine name Apollo. It is an ancient name that moved from the classical Greek world into later Christian naming and then outward into English, Italian, Spanish, Polish and French forms such as Apollonia, Apolonia and Apolline. Asterios is more transparent still, from Greek ἀστήρ, “star,” while Zenobia and Zenobius come from an old Greek formation built on Zeus and bios, “life,” giving the names a very old Mediterranean depth.
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.
That starry note in Asterios feels easy to recognize in real life: the cousin who always arrives bright and calm when the room needs it, or the teacher whose steady presence gives a whole class its bearings. Apollonia has a more stately, classical air, the kind of name that suits the neighbour everyone knows by sight and greets warmly at the corner store. And Zenobia still carries a certain grandeur, fitting for the friend whose confidence fills a space without any effort.
There are other names in today’s circle too, including Astero, Cleopas, Cronus, Markianos and Tertios, some commoner in Greek than in English and some much rarer on either side. That mix is part of the charm of name days: some names connect instantly across Montreal, while others open a small conversation about language, history and how names travel.
Chronia Polla! to everyone celebrating today, in Greek and non-Greek circles alike. If you know an Apollonia, an Aster, a Zenobia or a Zenobius, today is a lovely day to send a quick message, say happy name day, and share a Greek custom they may not even know belongs to them.
