In short: The name day is the feast day of the saint whose name you bear. It is celebrated above all in families shaped by the Catholic tradition, often with a small gift, a prayer or a visit to church. A fitting name day gift picks up the patron saint, for example as a statue, keyring or necklace. With us, the ideas start at €9.90.
Joseph on 19 March, Florian on 4 May, Martin on 11 November: if you bear the name of a saint, you have a second special day in addition to your birthday. In this guide you will learn what the name day means, how you can celebrate it and which name day gifts suit children, women and men.
What is a name day?
On almost every day of the year, the Church remembers one or more saints. Usually this is the day of death, which Christian tradition understands as the day of birth into heaven. If you bear the name of a saint, you celebrate your name day on that saint’s feast day. The saint is then your patron saint: a model in faith and, as tradition has it, an intercessor with God.
In many regions shaped by Catholicism, such as Bavaria, Austria or South Tyrol, the name day has a long tradition. In some families it was once even more important than the birthday. Today many families are rediscovering the custom, because it gives children a lovely story about their name.
And what if there are several saints with my name?
That happens often. There are, for example, several saints called John, Catherine or Elizabeth. In that case you choose the saint after whom you were baptised, or the one who means most to you. Name forms such as Sepp (Joseph), Hannes (John) or Lisa (Elizabeth) also belong to the respective saint.
Name days of well-known saints
A selection of common names with their usual name day. The basis is the feast days of the Catholic Church in the German-speaking world and the Roman Martyrology. Individual days may differ regionally.
- Valentine: 14 February
- Joseph: 19 March
- George: 23 April
- Florian: 4 May
- Rita: 22 May
- Anthony (of Padua): 13 June
- John (the Baptist, birth): 24 June
- Peter and Paul: 29 June
- Christopher: 24 July
- James (James the Greater): 25 July
- Anne: 26 July
- Mary: among others 12 September (Holy Name of Mary)
- Michael, Gabriel and Raphael: 29 September
- Francis (St Francis of Assisi): 4 October
- Hubert: 3 November
- Martin: 11 November
- Elizabeth (of Thuringia): 19 November
- Catherine (of Alexandria): 25 November
- Barbara: 4 December
- Nicholas: 6 December
You can find more about the lives, patronages and prayers of the saints in our Saints’ Lexicon.
How do you celebrate a name day?
There are no fixed rules. These ideas have proved their worth:
- Tell the story: In the morning or at dinner, read aloud who the patron saint was. Children love stories such as that of Martin sharing his cloak, or of Nicholas secretly doing good.
- Attend a service: On the feast day many churches remember the saint. For children it is special to hear “their” saint named there.
- Give a little something: The name day is not a second birthday. A small gift linked to the saint is enough.
- Pray together: A short prayer to the patron saint, such as “St Joseph, pray for us”, suits any age.
- A favourite meal: In some families the name-day child may choose the meal.
Name day gifts with meaning
A wooden statue of a saint
A statue of the patron saint is a gift for life. In our woodcarving workshop there are hand-carved statues from South Tyrol, for example of Joseph, Martin, Michael, Florian, George or Christopher among the male saints, and of Anne, Elizabeth, Catherine, Barbara or Rita among the female saints. Every statue is one of a kind. Please allow some time: the statues are shipped directly from the workshop in South Tyrol, the delivery time is approx. 3 to 4 weeks, and shipping is to Germany and Austria only. For Joseph on 19 March you should therefore order by February at the latest.
A keyring with the saint
Keyrings with the patron saint are popular for everyday use. We have, for example, the St Florian keyring (€15.90, blessed), with the German inscription “Schutzpatron der Feuerwehr” (“patron saint of the fire brigade”) on the back, the St Anthony keyring (€15.90, blessed) and the St Valentine keyring (€15.90, blessed). For Christopher there is a large choice of keyrings and car medals.
A necklace or medallion
For Florian there is a medallion on a necklace, and for Mary various Marian necklaces with the Miraculous Medal. A necklace with the patron saint is worn close to you; it is especially suited to teenagers and adults.
Ideas for names without a product of their own
Not every name has a fitting motif. In that case a general sign of faith suits: a cross, a guardian angel or an olive wood pendant. Write a few sentences about the patron saint on the card. That way even a simple gift becomes personal.
Name day gifts for children, women and men
- For children: a picture book or a story about the saint, a guardian angel for their room or a small figure. A lovely idea is to give a piece each year that recalls the patron saint.
- For women: a Marian necklace, a figure of their namesake saint or an olive wood pendant.
- For men: a keyring, a car medal or a figure of the patron saint for the desk.
Blessed, with a certificate
A Catholic priest from the Diocese of Fulda blesses many of our items in our own warehouse. A certificate card showing the date of the blessing is then included. Whether an item is blessed is stated in the title. The wooden statues from South Tyrol are not blessed in our warehouse. You can read more about individual saints, for example, in the lexicon entries on St Joseph and St Martin.
Frequently asked questions
What is a name day?
The name day is the feast day of the saint whose name you bear. It is celebrated above all in families and regions shaped by the Catholic tradition.
What do you give for a name day?
A small gift linked to the patron saint, for example a statue, a keyring or a necklace with the saint. A card with a few sentences about the saint makes the gift personal.
How do I find out when my name day is?
Look up your name in the calendar of saints. If there are several saints with your name, you choose the one after whom you were baptised, or the one who means most to you.
Do Protestant Christians celebrate name days too?
The name day is above all a Catholic and Orthodox custom. But there is nothing to stop Protestant Christians from also marking the day of their namesake.
How early should I order a wooden statue for a name day?
The hand-carved statues have a delivery time of approx. 3 to 4 weeks. So order at least a month before the name day.
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