Athanasius

The male first name Athanasius is the Latinized variant of the Greek name Athanasios (Αθανάσιος) and translates literally into German as 'the Immortal'. Its roots lie in Ancient Greek.

What does the name Athanasius mean?

The name Athanasius comes from the Latinized form of the Greek Athanasios (Αθανάσιος) and translates directly to 'the Immortal'. Its origin can be found in Ancient Greek. It consists of the elements a- (α-), a negative prefix meaning 'the absence of', and thánatos (θάνατος), which means 'to die, death, corpse'. Combined, this results in a-thánatos (αθάνατος), meaning 'immortal'. The name gained prominence through Saint Athanasius, a church teacher and bishop of Alexandria in the 4th century. Variants of the name include Atanas (Bulgarian and Macedonian), Athanase (French), Atanasio (Italian and Spanish), Atanasije (Serbian), Atanasij (Macedonian), Atanazy (Polish), Atanase and Atanasie (Romanian), as well as Afanasij and Afanasy (Russian) and Tanush (Albanian). Female forms include Athanasia, Athanassia, Atanasija (Macedonian and Serbian) as well as Afanasia and Afanasiia (Russian).

Where does the name Athanasius come from?

The name Athanasius has its roots in Ancient Greek and carries the meaning 'the Immortal'. It is composed of the Ancient Greek components ἀ- (a negative prefix meaning 'the absence of') and thánatos, which means 'to die, death, corpse'. Combined, the term a-thánatos means 'immortal'. The Latin form of the name is the result of Latinization.

How do you pronounce Athanasius?

The pronunciation of Athanasius is five syllables and melodic. It is pronounced as 'A-tha-na-si-us' [atanaˈziːʊs], creating a flowing rhythm with the stressed penultimate syllable. The ending -ius gives the name a solemn, elevated sound. Thus, Athanasius appears traditional, present, and impressive.

When is the name day of Athanasius?

The name day of Athanasius is celebrated on May 2. In the Orthodox Church, however, the memorial day is on January 18.

Popularity

In Germany, Athanasius is a rather rare first name. In 2017, it ranked 3,867th among the most common male first names. Its best ranking was in 2012 at 3,479th. Over the last ten years, Athanasius has been given as a first name fewer than 10 times, placing it at 8,008th in the ten-year statistics. From 2010 to 2024, it ranks 7,742nd.

Nicknames & pet names

Ata / Thanos

Similar first names

Famous people

• Athanasius Allanson (English monk and historian)
• Athanasius Atule Usuh (Bishop of Makurdi)
• Athanasius the Great (Patriarch of Alexandria)
• Athanasius Kalnofoysky (Author of the Teraturgema)
• Athanasius Kircher (Jesuit and scholar)
• Athanasius Schneider (Auxiliary Bishop)
• Athanasius Shumliansky (Bishop of Luzk)
• Athanasius Treweek (Linguist and language researcher)
• Athanasius of Naples (Thai Bishop)
• Athanasius of Naples (Bishop of Naples)
• St. Athanasius (Church Father and teacher)
• Mathews Mar Athanasius Episcopa (Indian Bishop)
• Mathews Mar Athanasius Metropolitan (Indian Bishop)