Name day
Eleftheria: Name Day and Patron Saint
Eleftheria keeps the name day on 15 December, or 28 December on the Old Calendar: the feast of St Eleftherios.
By custom, Eleftheria is kept with the name Eleftherios and shares its saint and day.
- Patron saint
- St Eleftherios
- New Calendar
- 15 December
- Old Calendar
- 28 December
- Next name day
- 15 December 2026 (New Calendar) · 28 December 2026 (Old Calendar)
- In the feast calendar
- The feasts of December
The patron saint: St Eleftherios
Kept on 15 December, or 28 December on the Old Calendar · Hieromartyr Eleftherios and his mother Anthia
St Eleftherios (Eleutherius) was born in Rome into a distinguished family; his father served the emperor and died while the boy was still young. His mother Anthia, a Christian, gave him a devout upbringing and entrusted him to the care of Anacletus, Bishop of Rome. Seeing the grace in the young man, the bishop made him a deacon at fifteen, a priest at eighteen and a bishop at about twenty, and Eleftherios was sent to shepherd the Church in Illyria on the Adriatic coast. In the persecution of the emperor Hadrian he was arrested for preaching Christ so boldly. The commander Felix, sent to bring him to Rome, was won over by his words and became a Christian; in Rome Eleftherios was tortured without yielding, and the official who had tortured him also came to believe in Christ. Both were put to death, and Eleftherios was beheaded around the year 126. His mother Anthia came to his body, embraced it, and was martyred with him. The Church keeps their memory on 15 December (28 December on the Old Calendar). His name means “free” or “one who sets free”, and in Greece expectant mothers have long turned to him and to his mother, praying, “Saint Eleftherios, free me”, for an easy and safe delivery; the hymns of his feast praise him for helping women in childbirth. Families sometimes name a child Eleftherios or Eleftheria in thanksgiving.
What the faithful pray for
- expectant mothers and a safe, easy childbirth
- midwives and all who help at a birth
- mothers and their sons
- those who long to be set free from what binds them
- courage to preach Christ boldly
Eleftheria in other languages
| Language | The name | Short forms |
|---|---|---|
| Greek | Ελευθερία, Eleftheria | Ρία, Λευτερία, Ria |
An icon for Eleftheria
We don't carry an icon of St Eleftherios yet. Ask for it below, and we will write to you when it is in.
Closest to it
Folding diptychSt John the Silent & Guardian Angel
Another holy bishop$99$69
Folding diptychSt Nicholas the Wonderworker & Guardian Angel
Another holy bishop$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 Eleftheria
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.
Other names with this saint
Questions
When is Eleftheria’s name day?
Eleftheria keeps the name day on 15 December on the New Calendar and on 28 December on the Old Calendar, the feast of St Eleftherios.
Who is the patron saint of Eleftheria?
St Eleftherios. St Eleftherios (Eleutherius) was born in Rome into a distinguished family; his father served the emperor and died while the boy was still young.
What is a good name-day gift for Eleftheria?
We don’t carry an icon of St Eleftherios 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
Sources
- OCA: Hieromartyr Eleutherius, Bishop of Illyria, and his mother Martyr Evanthia
- St Sophia Cathedral, Washington DC: Hieromartyr Eleutherius, Bishop of Illyria, his mother Martyr Evanthia, and Caribus the Eparch
- Mystagogy (John Sanidopoulos): Saint Eleutherios, Patron Saint of Pregnant Women
- eortologio.net, Greek name-day calendar (Εορτολόγιο)
- azbyka.ru, Месяцеслов (the Russian Church's calendar of saints by name)