Name day
Stephanie: Name Day and Patron Saint
Stephanie keeps the name day on 27 December, or 9 January on the Old Calendar: the feast of St Stephen the First Martyr.
By custom, Stephanie is kept with the name Stephen and shares its saint and day.
- Patron saint
- St Stephen the First Martyr
- New Calendar
- 27 December
- Old Calendar
- 9 January
- Next name day
- 27 December 2026 (New Calendar) · 9 January 2027 (Old Calendar)
- In the feast calendar
- The feasts of December · The feasts of January
The patron saint: St Stephen the First Martyr
Kept on 27 December, or 9 January on the Old Calendar · Holy Protomartyr and Archdeacon Stephen
St Stephen was the eldest of the seven deacons whom the apostles themselves appointed in Jerusalem to care for the widows, the orphans and the poor, and so the Church calls him archdeacon. Full of the Holy Spirit, he preached Christ boldly, worked signs among the people, and the teachers of the Law could not withstand the wisdom with which he spoke. False witnesses accused him of speaking against God and Moses, and he was brought before the Sanhedrin. There he told the whole story of Israel and charged his judges with resisting God as their fathers had resisted the prophets. Then he saw the heavens opened and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. The council dragged him out of the city and stoned him, while a young man named Saul, the future Apostle Paul, looked on and approved. Stephen died praying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit,” and asked the Lord not to hold this sin against his killers. He was about thirty years old, the first to give his life for Christ. The teacher Gamaliel and his son secretly buried him, and both later came to believe and were baptized. His relics were found in 415 and later brought to Constantinople. The Church keeps his memory on 27 December (9 January on the Old Calendar), the third day of the Nativity. The faithful ask his prayers for repentance, and for the grace to forgive as he forgave.
What the faithful pray for
- the grace to forgive those who wrong us
- courage to confess Christ before others
- repentance and the forgiveness of sins
- deacons and all who serve the poor
- steadfast faith in times of trial
Other saints named Stephanie
Sts Victor and Stephanida
Kept on 11 November, or 24 November on the Old Calendar · Holy Martyrs Menas, Victor, Vincent and Stephanida
St Victor was a soldier in the Roman army in the second century, in the reign of the emperor Marcus Aurelius. When the emperor began to persecute the Christians, soldiers were ordered to offer sacrifice to the pagan gods as a test of their loyalty to the gods, the emperor and the state. Victor was a Christian, and he refused. He was handed over to cruel tortures, but he came through them unharmed. A sorcerer was brought against him, and through Victor’s prayer the sorcerer was overcome, gave up his sorcery and became a Christian. Through the saint’s prayers some blind soldiers also received their sight. Watching all this was Stephanida, the young wife of one of his tormentors, a girl of about fifteen. Seeing Victor’s endurance and the miracle, she openly glorified Christ before everyone. For this she was condemned to a terrible death: she was tied to two bent palm trees, and when they were let go they tore her apart. After her, Victor was beheaded. The two martyrs suffered at Damascus, and their holy relics were laid to rest there. Her name, Stephanida, means a crown, and both received the crown of the martyrs. The Church remembers them together on 11 November (24 November on the Old Calendar). The faithful ask St Victor’s prayers for courage and steadfastness, and they ask St Stephanida’s prayers for the boldness to stand with those who suffer for Christ.
What the faithful pray for
- soldiers and all who serve under orders
- steadfastness under pressure to deny Christ
- courage to speak the truth openly
- the healing of the blind
- young people and young wives
Stephanie in other languages
| Language | The name | Short forms |
|---|---|---|
| English | Stephanie, Stefanie, Stephania, Stefania, Estefania, Stephany | Steph, Steffi |
| Greek | Στεφανία, Stefania | Στέφη, Stefi |
| Russian | Стефанида, Stefanida | |
| Bulgarian | Стефка, Stefka | |
| Serbian | Stefanija | |
| Romanian | Ștefania |
An icon for Stephanie
We don't carry an icon of St Stephen the First Martyr 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 Stephanie
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 Stephanie’s name day?
Stephanie keeps the name day on 27 December on the New Calendar and on 9 January on the Old Calendar, the feast of St Stephen the First Martyr.
Who is the patron saint of Stephanie?
St Stephen the First Martyr. St Stephen was the eldest of the seven deacons whom the apostles themselves appointed in Jerusalem to care for the widows, the orphans and the poor, and so the Church calls him archdeacon.
How is Stephanie written in other languages?
Greek: Στεφανία (Stefania), Russian: Стефанида (Stefanida), Bulgarian: Стефка (Stefka), Serbian: Stefanija and Romanian: Ștefania. Every form of the name keeps the same saint.
What is a good name-day gift for Stephanie?
We don’t carry an icon of St Stephen the First Martyr 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: Protomartyr and Archdeacon Stephen
- Azbyka.ru: Apostle of the Seventy Stephen, Protomartyr and Archdeacon
- Holy Trinity Orthodox: The Holy Martyrs Victor and Stephanida
- OrthoChristian: Martyr Victor at Damascus
- Mystagogy (John Sanidopoulos): Holy Martyrs Victor and Stephanie
- eortologio.net, Greek name-day calendar (Εορτολόγιο)
- azbyka.ru, Месяцеслов (the Russian Church's calendar of saints by name)