Anastasia

‘Resurrection’ or ‘rising up’, through its Greek name family.

Anastasia reaches back through Latin to Greek, where its name family is linked to anastasis, ‘resurrection’ or ‘rising up’. That meaning gives the name a particular resonance in Christian traditions, including Orthodox communities. It is a feminine name with a history broader than any single royal bearer. The Greek spelling is Αναστασία. Its pronunciation places the stress near the end, on the si syllable, while German puts the emphasis on the long a in sta. An English form such as an-uh-STAY-zhuh changes the ending more noticeably, gathering it into a soft zh sound. The sequence of open vowels gives Anastasia an expansive, lyrical feel; the st in the middle keeps it from sounding entirely soft. To our ear it has a formal elegance, with enough movement to feel lively rather than static. Its resurrection meaning may also appeal as an image of renewal, alongside or apart from a personal religious connection.

Etymology: Anastasia is the feminine counterpart of Anastasius, the Late Latin form of Greek Anastasios. The underlying Greek noun anastasis means ‘resurrection’ or ‘rising up’.