Which names are celebrated on 16 September in Greece?
The Greek Orthodox calendar marks 16 September as the name day for several given names. The principal names are Efimia and its forms, Melitini and its forms, and Lountmila. Additional dates exist for some of these names in the annual cycle. The listing of these names follows the standard presentation found in Greek name-day resources that compile the fixed commemorations of the Church year. Families often consult such lists to identify which relatives share the date and to prepare small observances at home or in church.
Variants linked to Efimia include Eufimi, Eufi, Efimoula, Efoula and Foula. Variants linked to Melitini include Melitine, Melitina, Meliti, Melita, Melina and Melitinos. Lountmila also appears as Lountmila. These forms are recorded in standard Greek name-day lists for the date. The presence of multiple spellings reflects the way Greek names evolve through diminutives and regional pronunciation while remaining tied to the same saint. The note that other dates may also apply to some names reminds readers that a single individual can mark more than one feast during the year.
Which saints does the Orthodox Church honour on this date?
The Orthodox Church commemorates three saints on 16 September. They are Agia Efimia the Great Martyr, Agia Melitini the Martyr and Agia Lountmila, princess of Bohemia. Each figure is recognised for steadfast faith and courage under persecution. The synaxarion entry for the day gathers these three commemorations into one observance, allowing the faithful to remember them together. The title Great Martyr given to Efimia signals that her sufferings were especially prolonged and severe, a distinction the Church reserves for certain early martyrs whose endurance became widely known.
Life and martyrdom of Agia Efimia
Agia Efimia lived during the reign of Emperor Diocletian. She was born in Chalcedon to a devout and noble family. Her parents, Psilofron and Theodoriani, raised her in Christian virtues. She grew into a person of notable gifts and firm Christian conviction. The account emphasises that her family background prepared her to resist the command to join the pagan celebration. The refusal led directly to arrest because the order applied to all residents. During imprisonment the efforts to change her mind moved from argument to physical torment once words proved ineffective. The tradition records that no harm came to her from the torments applied. The final act of the martyrdom was exposure to wild animals, with death resulting from a bear.
When the pagan proconsul Priscus ordered all residents of Chalcedon to attend a festival in honour of the god Ares, Efimia and other Christians refused to participate. She was arrested and imprisoned. Her captors attempted to persuade her to renounce her faith. When persuasion failed, she was subjected to severe torture. According to tradition, she remained unharmed by the torments through divine grace. She was ultimately thrown to wild beasts and died from injuries inflicted by a bear. The sequence shows a clear progression from public decree to private persuasion, then to judicial torture, and finally to execution. Each stage is presented as a test that the saint met without altering her confession. The detail that she was unharmed is offered as evidence of divine protection rather than natural resilience. The bear is identified as the instrument of her death, completing the martyrdom narrative in a single, decisive event.
Agia Melitini and Agia Lountmila
Agia Melitini is venerated as a martyr. Limited details of her life are preserved in the synaxarion for the day. Agia Lountmila, princess of Bohemia, is honoured as patron of the Czech lands. Her commemoration appears in the Orthodox calendar on this date. The brevity of the entries for these two saints indicates that the surviving historical or hagiographic material is smaller than that preserved for Efimia. The Church nevertheless includes them on the same day, giving equal liturgical honour regardless of the length of their written lives. Their presence alongside Efimia shows the calendar’s practice of grouping several commemorations when they fall on the same date.
Frequently asked questions
Which names celebrate on 16 September?
The names Efimia, Melitini and Lountmila, together with their listed variants, mark their name day on 16 September.
Who are the saints commemorated?
The Orthodox Church commemorates Agia Efimia the Great Martyr, Agia Melitini the Martyr and Agia Lountmila of Bohemia.
Where did Agia Efimia live?
Agia Efimia was born and lived in Chalcedon during the reign of Emperor Diocletian.
Are there other dates for these names?
Some of the names have additional name days in the Orthodox calendar.
Is 16 September a public holiday in Greece?
No, the date is observed as a religious commemoration and name day rather than a public holiday.
