Name day
Antonia: Name Day and Patron Saint
Antonia keeps the name day on 13 June, or 26 June on the Old Calendar: the feast of St Antonina.
By Greek custom the name day is 17 January: St Anthony the Great.
- Patron saint
- St Antonina
- New Calendar
- 13 June
- Old Calendar
- 26 June
- Next name day
- 13 June 2027 (New Calendar) · 26 June 2027 (Old Calendar)
- Greek custom
- 17 January: St Anthony the Great
- In the feast calendar
- The feasts of June
The patron saint: St Antonina
Kept on 13 June, or 26 June on the Old Calendar · Holy Martyr Antonina of Nicaea
St Antonina was a Christian of Nicaea in Bithynia. She suffered at the end of the third century, in the great persecution of the emperors Diocletian and Maximian. Commanded to deny Christ and sacrifice to the idols, she would not do it. She was brought to trial and given over to cruel tortures: she was burned with fire, laid on a red-hot plate of iron, and pierced in the hands and feet with heated rods. Between the torments she was thrown into prison. The Russian account of her life adds that angels of God stood by her, frightening her executioners, and that by the power of God she lay unharmed on the burning iron bed. Nothing could make her deny Christ. In the end her tormentors gave her to the waters, and she died a martyr; the life kept by the Orthodox Church in America says that her body was thrown into the sea, while the Russian Synaxarion says she was sewn into a sack and drowned in a lake. The Church honours her among the holy martyrs who kept their faith to the end with a courage that was not their own. Her feast is kept on 13 June (26 June on the Old Calendar). The faithful ask her prayers for steadfastness in faith, for patience in suffering, and for all who are held in prison for their beliefs.
What the faithful pray for
- steadfastness in the faith under pressure
- patience and courage in suffering
- those who are imprisoned or mistreated
- faithfulness to Christ to the end
Other saints named Antonia
St Anthony the Great
Kept on 17 January, or 30 January on the Old Calendar · Venerable Anthony the Great
St Anthony the Great is honoured as the father of monks. He was born in 251 in the village of Coma in Egypt, to pious Christian parents. When he was about twenty his parents died, leaving him to care for his younger sister. Soon afterwards he heard in church the Lord’s words to the rich young man, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give it to the poor,” and he took them as spoken to himself. He sold his inheritance, gave the money to the poor, entrusted his sister to a community of devout virgins, and began a life of prayer and work. For many years he struggled against temptation, first among the tombs and then alone in an abandoned fort in the desert, driving off the demons with the sign of the Cross and trust in the Lord. When he came out, disciples gathered around him and monasteries grew up in the desert under his guidance. In the persecution of 311 he went to Alexandria to strengthen the martyrs, and later he returned to the city to denounce the Arian heresy. He died in peace in 356, at the age of 105, and his life was written by his friend St Athanasius. The Church keeps his feast on 17 January (30 January on the Old Calendar). The faithful ask his prayers for strength in temptation and for a heart given wholly to Christ.
What the faithful pray for
- strength against temptation and the attacks of the evil one
- monks, nuns and all who seek a life of prayer
- the courage to let go of riches for the sake of Christ
- steadfastness in the Orthodox faith
Antonia in other languages
| Language | The name | Short forms |
|---|---|---|
| English | Antonia, Antoinette, Antonina | Toni, Tonia, Tonya |
| Greek | Αντωνία, Antonia | |
| Russian | Антонина, Antonina | Тоня, Tonya, Tonia |
| Romanian | Antonia |
An icon for Antonia
We don't carry an icon of St Antonina yet. Ask for it below, and we will write to you when it is in.
Closest to it
Folding diptychSt Gertrude of Nivelles & Guardian Angel
Another monastic saint$99$69
Folding diptychSt Alina (Alena) of Brussels & Guardian Angel
Another holy woman$99$69
Folding diptychChrist (Zvenigorod Saviour) & Vladimir Mother of God
Christ and the Mother of God keep every Christian home$99$69
For every name: the Guardian Angel, given at baptism
Have it consecrated by our priest before it reaches you: Consecration, $49.
A name-day gift for Antonia
Name-Day Gift Set $213$149
A patron saint's folding diptych chosen by first name, a stainless steel crucifix and a prayer rope, in a gift box with a card giving the saint's life and feast day.
The St Nicholas the Wonderworker & Guardian Angel Folding Diptych is chosen, for the Guardian Angel every Orthodox Christian receives at baptism, and the name is filled in.
Questions
When is Antonia’s name day?
Antonia keeps the name day on 13 June on the New Calendar and on 26 June on the Old Calendar, the feast of St Antonina. By Greek custom it is kept on 17 January: St Anthony the Great.
Who is the patron saint of Antonia?
St Antonina. St Antonina was a Christian of Nicaea in Bithynia.
How is Antonia written in other languages?
Greek: Αντωνία (Antonia), Russian: Антонина (Antonina) and Romanian: Antonia. Every form of the name keeps the same saint.
What is a good name-day gift for Antonia?
We don’t carry an icon of St Antonina yet, and you can ask for one on this page. Every Orthodox Christian has a Guardian Angel from baptism, so the Name-Day Gift Set ($149) with the Guardian Angel diptych is always fitting.
More about name days
- Name Days Explained: What They Are, How Families Keep Them, and Gifts
A name day is the feast of the saint whose name you carry. Here is how to find yours on either calendar, how Greek and Russian families keep it, and what to give.
- Orthodox Patron Saint: How to Find Yours (by Name, Day or Choice)
Your Orthodox patron saint is the saint whose name you were given at baptism. Here is how to find yours by name, by the day of your birth or baptism, or by choice, and how to keep the name day.
- Find another name