About the name Nayden
Etymology & meaning
Nayden is an old Bulgarian protective name — the participle "found". By old custom it was given to a long-awaited or fragile child: a "found" child is ostensibly not one's own, so evil forces pass it by.
History & patron saint
Protective folk names have no saint of their own. Calendar tradition assigned Nayden a spring memory in March, while some celebrants also keep Epiphany with the great January cycle.
Traditions & customs
The name day is kept modestly, in the family circle — a home table and wishes for health. The story of the name itself — a child "found" so as to be protected — is often the tale told at the table.
Popularity & notable bearers
Nayden is a characteristic Revival-era name borne by the scholar Nayden Gerov, author of the first great dictionary of Bulgarian. Rarer today, it survives in Naydenov, one of the country's commonest surnames.