Meaning "Resurrection" | ||
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Short form(s) Nastya, Stacicca, Stacie, and Stacy Related names | ||
Anastasia (from Greek Ἀναστασία [a.na.sta.'si.a]; also spelled Anastasiya, Annastasia, Ánnstas, Anastazia, Anastazja, Anastacia or Annastatia) is a name bestowed to women and the feminine equivalent of the male name Anastasius. The name is of Greek origin, coming from the Greek word anastasis (Greek: ἀνάστασις), 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.
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Origin
The name Anastasia was created during the early days of Christianity and was abundantly given to Greek children born in December and around Easter. It was established as the female form (Greek: Ἀναστασία) of the male name Anastasius (Greek: Ἀναστάσιος Anastasios Greek pronunciation: [a.na.'sta.si.os]), 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 second Mass on Christmas Day each year according to the traditional calendar of the Roman Catholic Church. The name can also be written as Anastasiya, Annastasia, Anastacia, or Annastatia. Slavic diminutives include Nastya, as well as various hypocoristics: Nastenka, Nastyusha, Nastyona, and Nastja (Serbian, Slovenian).
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 exceeded 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.