About the name Panayot
Etymology & meaning
Panayot comes from the Greek Panagiotis — derived from Panagia ("the All-Holy"), one of the titles of the Theotokos: "dedicated to the Mother of God". The feminine Panayotka is rare but alive.
History & patron saint
As a Theotokos name Panayot celebrates on the Dormition — Golyama Bogoroditsa (15 August), the greatest feast of the Mother of God. Some celebrants also keep the summer memory of Saint Panteleimon, with whose folk forms the name has long intertwined.
Traditions & customs
On Golyama Bogoroditsa families attend church and prepare a kurban for health; celebrants lay a rich August table of watermelon, grapes and bread. Many combine the feast with a pilgrimage to a Theotokos monastery.
Popularity & notable bearers
Panayot is Revival-spirited — borne by the voyvoda Panayot Hitov and the revolutionary Panayot Volov; rarer today, it endures in the widespread surnames Panayotov and Panov.