Anastasia

Anastasia (Greek Αναστασία) is a personal name and the female form of the Greek male name Anastasius/Anastasios (Koine Greek: Αναστασία) meaning "resurrection." The name, and its male counterpart, were often given to Greek children born around December 2 or around Easter during the early days of Christianity. It is the name of several early saints. Anastasia of Sirmium, a 2nd century Christian saint martyred at Sirmium, is commemorated during the second Mass on Christmas Day each year according to the traditional calendar of the Roman Catholic Church. She is no longer commemorated on Christmas Day according to the Vatican II calendar. She is the patron saint of weavers. The best known Anastasia is the Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna, youngest daughter of the last tsar of imperial Russia. Legends about her have been the subject of numerous books and films.

Anastasia was the most popular name for baby girls in Moscow, Russia in 2008, and is also a popular name in a number of other republics of the former Soviet Union. It was the 313th most popular name for girls born in the United States in 2007, down from 287th place in 2006. It was the 80th most popular name for girls born in Chile in 2006.

Read more about Anastasia:  Feminine Name Variants, Masculine Variants