Name day
Jonah: Name Day and Patron Saint
Jonah keeps the name day on 22 September, or 5 October on the Old Calendar: the feast of the Prophet Jonah.
By Greek custom the name day is 21 September: Prophet Ionas.
- Patron saint
- the Prophet Jonah
- New Calendar
- 22 September
- Old Calendar
- 5 October
- Next name day
- 22 September 2027 (New Calendar) · 5 October 2027 (Old Calendar)
- Greek custom
- 21 September: Prophet Ionas
- In the feast calendar
- The feasts of September · The feasts of October
The patron saint: the Prophet Jonah
Kept on 22 September, or 5 October on the Old Calendar · Holy Prophet Jonah
The holy Prophet Jonah, son of Amittai, lived in the eighth century before Christ, after the Prophet Elisha. Church tradition holds that his mother was the widow who sheltered the Prophet Elijah in time of famine, whose flour and oil did not run out, and that Jonah was the son whom Elijah raised from the dead. God sent him to proclaim that the great city of Nineveh would be destroyed, but Jonah refused and fled by sea. A great storm arose, and when the sailors learned that he was the cause, they cast him overboard. God sent a great sea creature that swallowed him, and after three days and three nights it left him on dry land. Then Jonah went, though unwillingly, and preached in Nineveh, and the whole city repented, and God spared it. The Lord Himself pointed to this sign: as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, so the Son of Man would be three days in the heart of the earth. So the Church sees in Jonah an image of Christ’s death, descent into Hades and Resurrection. Tradition says he later took his mother to live among other peoples, buried her, and at last died and was buried in a cave near Deborah’s Oak. The Church keeps his feast on 22 September (5 October on the Old Calendar). The faithful ask his prayers for repentance, for obedience to God’s call, and for help in the storms of life.
What the faithful pray for
- repentance and God’s mercy
- obedience to God’s call
- those in danger at sea and all travellers on the water
- help in the storms and depths of life
- faith in the Resurrection of Christ
Other saints named Jonah
Prophet Ionas
Kept on 21 September, or 4 October on the Old Calendar
Jonah in other languages
| Language | The name | Short forms |
|---|---|---|
| English | Jonah, Jonas, Yonah | |
| Greek | Ιωνάς, Ionas | |
| Russian | Иона, Iona | |
| Serbian | Јона, Jona | |
| Arabic | يونان, Younan, Yunus |
An icon for Jonah
We don't carry an icon of the Prophet Jonah yet. Ask for it below, and we will write to you when it is in.
Closest to it
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 Jonah
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 Jonah’s name day?
Jonah keeps the name day on 22 September on the New Calendar and on 5 October on the Old Calendar, the feast of the Prophet Jonah. By Greek custom it is kept on 21 September: Prophet Ionas.
Who is the patron saint of Jonah?
the Prophet Jonah. The holy Prophet Jonah, son of Amittai, lived in the eighth century before Christ, after the Prophet Elisha.
How is Jonah written in other languages?
Greek: Ιωνάς (Ionas), Russian: Иона (Iona), Serbian: Јона (Jona) and Arabic: يونان (Younan). Every form of the name keeps the same saint.
What is a good name-day gift for Jonah?
We don’t carry an icon of the Prophet Jonah 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