March has many name days — none of the really huge ones, although there are very important Christian feast days celebrated in March.
March sits between winter and Lent. It includes the Sunday of Orthodoxy, the Annunciation, and Greek Independence Day — so while the individual names may be smaller, the month itself carries weight.
If you’re new to name days, read our guide to celebrating name days in Greece first.
(Source for dates: namedays.gr)
Sunday of Orthodoxy
(Observed on the first Sunday of Lent — date changes each year and may fall on February)
The Sunday of Orthodoxy commemorates the restoration of holy icons in the 9th century, after a long period known as Iconoclasm when religious images were banned and destroyed in parts of the Byzantine Empire.
In simple terms — it marks the moment icons were officially restored to churches.
In Greece, this day is still observed with special church services. In many parishes, icons are carried in procession, and the victory of Orthodox belief is remembered. It falls on the first Sunday of Lent, so it also signals that the fasting period is well underway.
It’s not a personal name day in the traditional sense, but it appears in name day calendars because of its religious significance.
1 March
Axia (Axia, Axios)
Evdokia (Evdokia)
Harisios (Harisios)
Loxantra (Loxandra)
Orthodoxia (Orthodoxis, Doxis, Doxakis, Orthodoxia, Orthoula)
Parashos (Parashos)
Paraskevas (Paraskevas, Paraskeuas)
Roxanne (Roxane, Roxani, Roxana, Roxy, Rox)
About Evdokia
Eudokia of Heliopolis is the martyr who is celebrated on March 1. She was a Samarian woman living in Heliopolis (Baalbeck, Lebanon). She was a wealthy and beautiful woman who became a Christian and a monastic and converted many others, before finally gaining the unwanted attention of Roman authorities who had her beheaded.
Below, Russian icon of Eudokia of Heliopolis
2 March
Efthalia (Evthalia, Euthalia, Eythaleia, Thaleia, Thalia)
Troadios (Troadios)
3 March
Kleonikos (Kleonikos)
4 March
Gerasimos (Gerasimos, Yerasimos)
5 March
Arhelaos (Arhelaos)
Evlogios (Evlogios)
Konon (Konon)
6 March
Isyhios (Isyhios)
8 March
Gregory (Grigoris, Grigorios, Gregory, Gregorios, Gregoris, Golis, Gregor)
Hermes (Hermis)
Theofylaktos (Theofylaktos)
9 March
Aetios (Aetios, Aetos, Eagle)
Eliana (Eliana)
Filoktimon (Filoktimon, Philoktimon)
Iliana (Iliana, Ilias)
Lysimahos (Lysimahos)
Sarantos (Sarantos, Sarantis)
Sevirianos (Sevirianos, Severiano)
Smaragda (Smaragdenia, Smaro, Smaragda, Smara, Smaroula, Smaragdoula)
Smaragdos (Smaragdos, Smaragdis, Smaragdenios, Smaris)
Vivianos (Vivianos, Vivi, Vivian)
Xanthos (Xanthos, Xanhtoulis, Xanthoula, Xanthi)
11 March
Savina (Sabina, Sabena, Savina, Savena, Zabia, Zabina)
Sofronios (Sofron)
Thalis (Thalis)
Theodora (Thodora, Theodora)
12 March
Fani (Phani, Fenia, Fania, Fanoula)
Theofanis (Theofania, Theofanis, Fanis)
13 March
Leandros (Leandros)
Marios (Marios)
14 March
Benedict (Benediktos, Benedikti, Benedict)
Efrasios (Efrasios)
Mathilde (Mathilde, Matilda)
15 March
Agapios (Agapios)
16 March
Christodoulos (Christodoulos)
Ioulianos (Ioulianos, Joulian)
17 March
Alexios (Alexios, Alexis, Alex, Alekos, Alexia, Alexa)
Gertrude (Gertrude, Geertruide, Geltruda, Gerda, Gerte, Gertraud, Gertruda, Gertrudis, Gerty, Trude, Trudi, Trudie, Trudy)
18 March
Edward (Edward, Eddy)
19 March
Chrysanthis (Hrysanthi, Chrysanthi, Chrysanthis)
Dareia (Dareea)
Hrysanthos (Crysanthos)
20 March
Claudia (Claudia)
Rodi (Rodi, Rodia)
Rodianos (Rodianos)
22 March
Drosos (Drosos)
Drosoula (Drosoula, Drosis, Drosida)
24 March
Parthenis (Parthenios, Parthenis)
Zaharias (Zachariah, Zechariah, Zacaria, Zacarias, Zacary, Zacharia, Zacharias, Zacharie, Zachary, Zachery, Zackerias, Zack, Zakarias, Zeke, Zaharias, Zacharoula, Zacharenia, Zaki, Zakis)
25 March
Ethnegersia (Ethnegersia)
Evaggelos (Evagelos, Evangelos, Aggelis, Angelis, Eva, Vangelis, Lili, Lilika)
On March 25 every year, the religious event of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary is celebrated. The day marks the moment when the Archangel Gabriel appeared to the Panagia and told her she would become the mother of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
It is one of the most important feast days in the Greek Orthodox calendar.
That is why Evaggelos (Evangelos, anglicised to Angelo or Angela) celebrates their name day on this date. The name comes from the Greek word evangelismos, meaning “good news” — referring to the message brought by the Archangel Gabriel.
The day is also Greek Independence Day, so 25 March carries both religious and national significance.
26 March
Poulios (Poulios)
Sylas (Sylas)
27 March
Filitas (Filitas, Filiti)
Leeda (Lida)
Lidia (Lydia, Lidia, Lidie, Lyda, Lydie)
Makedon (Makedon)
Matrona (Matrona of Thessaloniki)
31 March
Ypatia (Ypatia)
Ypatios (Ypatis, Hypatius)
