Anastasia


Anastasia is a feminine given name and the female equivalent of the male name Anastasius. The name is of Greek origin, coming from the Greek word anástasis, meaning "resurrection". It is a popular name in Eastern Europe, particularly in Russia, where it was the most used name for decades until 2008, when its place was taken by Sophia. It is still heavily used.

Origin

The name Anastasia originated during the early days of Christianity and was given to many Greek girls born in December and around Easter. It was established as the female form of the male name Anastasius, and has the meaning of "she/he of the resurrection". It is the name of several early saints; including Anastasia of Sirmium, a central saint from the 2nd century who is commemorated during the first Mass on Christmas Dawn each year according to the traditional calendar of the Roman Catholic Church and on December 22 according to the Eastern Orthodox Church. Slavic diminutives include Nastya, Nastia or Nastja as well as various hypocoristics: Nastenka, Nastyusha, Nastyona.

Popularity

Anastasia is a very popular name for girls, especially in Europe, where most names have Christian associations. Anastasia was the most popular name for girls for many years in Russia until 2008, when it was surpassed by the name Sophia. It remains one of the top ten names for Russian girls, as well as for girls in Belarus, Moldova, Serbia, Georgia, and Montenegro.
, the youngest daughter of the last Russian Tsar, Nicholas II and the most well-known person to bear this name