When is Nikephoros’s name day?

Nikephoros can be celebrated on 2 feasts in the Orthodox calendar. People keep the feast of the saint they were named for, or the one their family has always kept.

Every feast on which Nikephoros is celebrated

The saints behind the name

• Nikephoros of Chios

  May 1, Venerable, Νικηφόρος ο Χίος

  Nikephoros was born on Chios in the eighteenth century and became a monk at the Nea Moni of the island. A learned man, he taught in the school of Chios and was a close friend of Saint Athanasios of Paros and Saint Makarios of Corinth, sharing their zeal for the frequent reception of Holy Communion and the Church's traditions.

  Name days: Nikiforos, Nikephoros, Nicephorus, Nikifor

• Nikephoros of Mount Athos

  May 4, Venerable, Νικηφόρος ο Αθωνίτης

  Nikephoros was of Italian birth and, having embraced Orthodoxy, became a monk on Mount Athos in the thirteenth century. He lived in stillness in the wilder parts of the Mountain and wrote a treatise on watchfulness and the prayer of the heart.

  Name days: Nikiforos, Nikephoros, Nicephorus

Also celebrating with Nikephoros

These names share the feast, many of them other forms of the same name:

Nikiforos, Nicephorus, Nikifor

What to say on a name day

The Greek wish is Χρόνια Πολλά (Chronia Polla), “many years.” A call or a short message on the day is what people remember. See name day wishes you can send and what a name day is.