Anastasia

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A feminine first name of Greek origin, meaning resurrection, that was popular in Russia and Eastern Europe
2. A woman's given name derived from a Greek word meaning resurrection and widely used in Russian-speaking countries
3. A female personal name of Greek origin, often associated with Russian royalty, borne by many women across Europe

Etymology: The name "Anastasia" was once a kind of seasonal label. Early Christians gave it, along with its male counterpart Anastasius, to children born around Easter, when the feast of the Resurrection was the great event of the year. The name itself comes from the Ancient Greek "Anastasía," which is built from "anástasis," meaning "resurrection" or literally "a standing up again," formed from "ana-" (up, again) and "stásis" (a standing). The name was then fixed to a particular saint. A 4th-century martyr called Anastasia became the namesake for many women who bore it, so a word that began as a description of a birth season became a personal name carried by a saint's reputation. Its meaning as "resurrection" stayed attached to the name, even as the name itself came to be used for girls with no connection to Easter at all.