Name day
Simon: Name Day and Patron Saint
Simon keeps the name day on 10 May, or 23 May on the Old Calendar: the feast of St Simon the Zealot.
- Patron saint
- St Simon the Zealot
- New Calendar
- 10 May
- Old Calendar
- 23 May
- Next name day
- 10 May 2027 (New Calendar) · 23 May 2027 (Old Calendar)
- In the feast calendar
- The feasts of May
The patron saint: St Simon the Zealot
Kept on 10 May, or 23 May on the Old Calendar · Holy Apostle Simon the Zealot
St Simon was a native of Cana in Galilee, near Nazareth, and was known to the Lord and to His Mother. Church tradition holds that he was the bridegroom at the wedding in Cana, where Christ, His Mother and the disciples were guests and where the Lord turned the water into wine, His first miracle. Struck by what he had seen, Simon believed, and he left the wedding feast and his own house to follow Christ with such zeal that he is called the Zealot. He was numbered among the Twelve Apostles, and at Pentecost he received the Holy Spirit with the others. Then he went out to preach Christ in many lands. The traditions name Egypt, Libya and North Africa, Abkhazia on the eastern shore of the Black Sea, and even Britain, where early writers say he brought many unbelievers to the light of the Gospel. After winning many pagans to the Lord he suffered martyrdom by crucifixion, imitating his Master in his death. The traditions differ on where he died and was buried; one places his grave at Nikopsia near the Black Sea, where a church was later raised in his memory. The Church keeps his feast on 10 May (23 May on the Old Calendar), and he is remembered again with all the Apostles on 30 June. His hymns ask him to entreat Christ God for great mercy on our souls, and the faithful honour him as one who left everything, even his own wedding feast, for love of Christ.
What the faithful pray for
- great mercy for our souls
- zeal to follow Christ before all else
- courage to leave behind what keeps us from God
- those who carry the Gospel to distant lands
Other saints named Simon
St Simeon the God-receiver
Kept on 3 February, or 16 February on the Old Calendar · Holy and Righteous Simeon the God-receiver and Anna the Prophetess
St Simeon was, in the words of the Gospel, a just and devout man waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. The Holy Spirit had revealed to him that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. Church tradition adds that he was one of the seventy scholars who translated the Hebrew Scriptures into Greek at Alexandria. Coming to the words of Isaiah, “Behold, a virgin shall conceive”, he wished to write “woman” instead, but an angel stopped his hand and promised that he would live to see the prophecy fulfilled. On the fortieth day after Christ’s birth, the Virgin Mary and Joseph brought the Child to the Temple. Led by the Spirit, the aged Simeon came in, recognised his Saviour and took Him in his arms; this is why the Church calls him the God-receiver. He gave thanks to God and sang the song the Church still sings at every Vespers: “Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy word: for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation.” He foretold that the Child would be for the fall and rising of many, and that a sword would pierce His Mother’s soul. Tradition says he reposed soon after, at a great age; his relics were brought to Constantinople in the sixth century. The Church remembers him with the Prophetess Anna on 3 February (16 February on the Old Calendar), the day after the Meeting of the Lord.
What the faithful pray for
- patience and faith in long waiting on God
- a peaceful Christian end of this life
- eyes to see the salvation of God
- the elderly who wait for the Lord in prayer
Venerable Simon
Kept on 12 July, or 25 July on the Old Calendar
Venerable Simon
Kept on 24 November, or 7 December on the Old Calendar
Simon in other languages
| Language | The name | Short forms |
|---|---|---|
| English | Simon, Simone, Szymon, Shimon, Simão | Si, Sim |
| Greek | Σίμων, Σίμωνας, Simon | |
| Russian | Симон, Simon |
An icon for Simon
We don't carry an icon of St Simon the Zealot yet. Ask for it below, and we will write to you when it is in.
Closest to it
Folding diptychSt Mark the Apostle & Guardian Angel
Another apostle$99$69
Folding diptychSt Matthew the Apostle & Guardian Angel
Another apostle$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 Simon
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 Simon’s name day?
Simon keeps the name day on 10 May on the New Calendar and on 23 May on the Old Calendar, the feast of St Simon the Zealot.
Who is the patron saint of Simon?
St Simon the Zealot. St Simon was a native of Cana in Galilee, near Nazareth, and was known to the Lord and to His Mother.
How is Simon written in other languages?
Greek: Σίμων (Simon) and Russian: Симон (Simon). Every form of the name keeps the same saint.
What is a good name-day gift for Simon?
We don’t carry an icon of St Simon the Zealot 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: Apostle Simon the Zealot (Lives of all saints commemorated on May 10)
- Mystagogy (John Sanidopoulos): Holy Apostle Simon the Zealot
- OCA: Holy, Righteous Simeon the God-Receiver
- Mystagogy: Synaxarion of Saints Symeon the God-Receiver and Anna the Prophetess
- Orthodox Church in America, Lives of the Saints
- eortologio.net, Greek name-day calendar (Εορτολόγιο)
- azbyka.ru, Месяцеслов (the Russian Church's calendar of saints by name)