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Summary
- No one named Natasha appears in the Bible, and no English translation uses the name or its full form, Natalia.
- Natasha is the Russian and Belarusian short form of Natalya, or Natalia, from the Latin natalis, “birthday.”
- Christians used natalis especially for the birth of Jesus, so Natalia, and Natasha with it, means “Christmas Day.”
- The heroine of Tolstoy’s War and Peace, Natalya Rostova, is called Natasha. English speakers have used Natasha as a name only since the 20th century.
- In the United States Natasha peaked at 70th in 1986 and left the top 1,000 in 2025.
- Its saint is Natalia of Nicomedia, whose Orthodox feast on 26 August falls on 8 September in Russia’s civil calendar.
Bibliography (Click to show)
- Behind the Name, “Natasha,” “Natalya” and “Natalie,” with United States popularity figures from Social Security Administration data. https://www.behindthename.com/name/natasha
- “Natalia (given name)” and “Natalie (given name),” Wikipedia, on natale Domini and on Natalia “Natasha” Rostova in War and Peace. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natalia_(given_name)
- “Adrian and Natalia of Nicomedia,” Wikipedia, on the feast of 26 August (8 September in the civil calendar). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adrian_and_Natalia_of_Nicomedia
- “Наталья,” Russian Wikipedia, on Natasha as the diminutive of Natalya and the name day of 8 September. https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Наталья
- Bible Gateway keyword searches for “Natasha” and “Natalia” in the King James Version, New International Version and New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (no results). https://www.biblegateway.com/
- Scripture quotations: Matthew 2:1; Luke 2:6–7, English Standard Version.
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