Greek name
Encyclopedia
Given names
Greek given nameGiven name
A given name, in Western contexts often referred to as a first name, is a personal name that specifies and differentiates between members of a group of individuals, especially in a family, all of whose members usually share the same family name...
s can be derived from the Greco-Roman gods, along with Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
traditions, or from the Byzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
as well as the Old
Old Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
and the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
and early Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
traditions. Male names usually end in -ης and -ος, sometimes in -ας, -ων, -εύς, and -ης; female names almost always end in -α and -η, though a few end in -ώ.
When Greek names are used in other languages, they are sometimes rendered phonetically (e.g. Eleni for Ἑλένη) and sometimes given in their historical English counterpart (Helen). In the United States, there are conventional anglicizations of some names that are not otherwise related, e.g. Jimmy/James for Δημήτρης.
Ancient names
- AcamasAcamasAcamas was a name attributed to several characters in Greek mythology. The following three all fought in the Trojan War, and only the first was not mentioned by Homer....
(Ἀκάμας) - AchillesAchillesIn Greek mythology, Achilles was a Greek hero of the Trojan War, the central character and the greatest warrior of Homer's Iliad.Plato named Achilles the handsomest of the heroes assembled against Troy....
(Ἀχιλλεύς) - AdonisAdonisAdonis , in Greek mythology, the god of beauty and desire, is a figure with Northwest Semitic antecedents, where he is a central figure in various mystery religions. The Greek , Adōnis is a variation of the Semitic word Adonai, "lord", which is also one of the names used to refer to God in the Old...
(Ἄδωνις) - AeneasAeneasAeneas , in Greco-Roman mythology, was a Trojan hero, the son of the prince Anchises and the goddess Aphrodite. His father was the second cousin of King Priam of Troy, making Aeneas Priam's second cousin, once removed. The journey of Aeneas from Troy , which led to the founding a hamlet south of...
(Αἰνείας) - AgamemnonAgamemnonIn Greek mythology, Agamemnon was the son of King Atreus and Queen Aerope of Mycenae, the brother of Menelaus, the husband of Clytemnestra, and the father of Electra and Orestes. Mythical legends make him the king of Mycenae or Argos, thought to be different names for the same area...
(Αγαμέμνων) - AgenorAgenorAgenor was in Greek mythology and history a Phoenician king of Tyre. Herodotus estimates that Agenor lived sometime before the year 2000 B.C..-Genealogy:...
(Ἀγήνωρ) - Ajax (Αἴας)
- AlcibiadesAlcibiadesAlcibiades, son of Clinias, from the deme of Scambonidae , was a prominent Athenian statesman, orator, and general. He was the last famous member of his mother's aristocratic family, the Alcmaeonidae, which fell from prominence after the Peloponnesian War...
(Ἀλκιβιάδης) - AlcyoneAlcyoneIn Greek mythology, Alcyone was the daughter of Aeolus, either by Enarete or Aegiale. She married Ceyx, son of Eosphorus, the Morning Star....
(Ἀλκυόνη) - AlexanderAlexanderAlexander is a common male first name, and less common surname. The most famous is Alexander the Great, the King of Macedon who created one of the largest empires in ancient history.- Origin :...
(Ἀλέξανδρος) - Anaximandros (Ἀναξίμανδρος)
- AntenorAntenorAntenor was an Athenian sculptor, of the latter part of the 6th century BC. He was named after the mythological figure also called Antenor. He was the creator of the joint statues of the tyrannicides Harmodius and Aristogeiton, set up by the Athenians on the expulsion of Hippias. These statues...
(Ἀντήνωρ) - Androcles (Ἀνδροκλῆς)
- Andromeda (Ἀνδρομέδα)
- AntigoneAntigoneIn Greek mythology, Antigone is the daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta, Oedipus' mother. The name may be taken to mean "unbending", coming from "anti-" and "-gon / -gony" , but has also been suggested to mean "opposed to motherhood", "in place of a mother", or "anti-generative", based from the root...
(Ἀντιγόνη) - AphroditeAphroditeAphrodite is the Greek goddess of love, beauty, pleasure, and procreation.Her Roman equivalent is the goddess .Historically, her cult in Greece was imported from, or influenced by, the cult of Astarte in Phoenicia....
(Ἀφροδίτη) - ApolloApolloApollo is one of the most important and complex of the Olympian deities in Greek and Roman mythology...
(Ἀπόλλων) - ArchelochusArchelochusIn the Iliad, Archelochus was a son of Antenor and along with his brother Acamas and Aeneas, shared the command of the Dardans fighting on the side of the Trojans. When the Trojan army was broken up into five divisions Archelochus was one of the three leaders of his division along with the other...
(Ἀρχέλοχος) - ArchimedesArchimedesArchimedes of Syracuse was a Greek mathematician, physicist, engineer, inventor, and astronomer. Although few details of his life are known, he is regarded as one of the leading scientists in classical antiquity. Among his advances in physics are the foundations of hydrostatics, statics and an...
(Ἀρχιμήδης) - ArgusArgus (disambiguation)- Mythology :* Argus Panoptes , a giant with a hundred eyes.* Argus-Pelasgus, son of Zeus and Niobe; succeeded Phoroneus as King of Argos* Argus, son of Arestor, builder of the ship Argo in the tale of the Argonauts...
(Ἀργός) - AriadneAriadneAriadne , in Greek mythology, was the daughter of King Minos of Crete, and his queen Pasiphaë, daughter of Helios, the Sun-titan. She aided Theseus in overcoming the Minotaur and was the bride of the god Dionysus.-Minos and Theseus:...
(Ἀριάδνη) - Aristarchus (Ἀρίσταρχος)
- AristidesAristidesAristides , 530 BC – 468 BC was an Athenian statesman, nicknamed "the Just".- Biography :Aristides was the son of Lysimachus, and a member of a family of moderate fortune. Of his early life, it is only told that he became a follower of the statesman Cleisthenes and sided with the aristocratic party...
(Ἀριστείδης) - Aristocles (Ἀριστοκλῆς)
- AristotleAristotleAristotle was a Greek philosopher and polymath, a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. His writings cover many subjects, including physics, metaphysics, poetry, theater, music, logic, rhetoric, linguistics, politics, government, ethics, biology, and zoology...
(Ἀριστοτέλης) - ArtemisArtemisArtemis was one of the most widely venerated of the Ancient Greek deities. Her Roman equivalent is Diana. Some scholars believe that the name and indeed the goddess herself was originally pre-Greek. Homer refers to her as Artemis Agrotera, Potnia Theron: "Artemis of the wildland, Mistress of Animals"...
(Ἄρτεμις) - AthenaAthenaIn Greek mythology, Athena, Athenê, or Athene , also referred to as Pallas Athena/Athene , is the goddess of wisdom, courage, inspiration, civilization, warfare, strength, strategy, the arts, crafts, justice, and skill. Minerva, Athena's Roman incarnation, embodies similar attributes. Athena is...
(Ἀθηνᾶ) - AtreusAtreusIn Greek mythology, Atreus was a king of Mycenae, the son of Pelops and Hippodamia, and the father of Agamemnon and Menelaus. Collectively, his descendants are known as Atreidai or Atreidae....
(Ἀτρεύς) - CalchasCalchasIn Greek mythology, Calchas , son of Thestor, was an Argive seer, with a gift for interpreting the flight of birds that he received of Apollo: "as an augur, Calchas had no rival in the camp"...
(Κάλχας) - CalliopeCalliopeIn Greek mythology, Calliope was the muse of epic poetry, daughter of Zeus and Mnemosyne, and is now best known as Homer's muse, the inspiration for the Odyssey and the Iliad....
(Καλλιόπη) - Callirrhoe (Καλλιρρόη)
- CassandraCassandraIn Greek mythology, Cassandra was the daughter of King Priam and Queen Hecuba of Troy. Her beauty caused Apollo to grant her the gift of prophecy...
(Κασσάνδρα) - Cassiopeia (Κασσιόπεια)
- ChrysesChrysesIn Greek mythology, Chryses was a priest of Apollo at Chryse, near the city of Troy.According to a tradition mentioned by Eustathius of Thessalonica, Chryses and Briseus were brothers, sons of a man named Ardys .During the Trojan War ,...
(Χρύσης) - Cleopatra (Κλεοπάτρα)
- ClioCliothumb|Clio—detail from [[The Art of Painting|The Allegory of Painting]] by [[Johannes Vermeer]]In Greek mythology, Clio or Kleio, is the muse of history. Like all the muses, she is a daughter of Zeus and Mnemosyne...
(Κλειώ) - Clytaemnestra (Κλυταιμνήστρα)
- Coön (Κόων)
- Crino (Κρινώ)
- DaedalusDaedalusIn Greek mythology, Daedalus was a skillful craftsman and artisan.-Family:...
(Δαίδαλος) - DanaëDanaëIn Greek mythology, Danaë was a daughter of King Acrisius of Argos and Eurydice of Argos. She was the mother of Perseus by Zeus. She was sometimes credited with founding the city of Ardea in Latium....
(Δανάη) - DaphneDaphneDaphne was a female minor nature deity. Pursued by Apollo, she fled and was chased. Daphne begged the gods for help, who then transformed her into Laurel.-Overview:...
(Δάφνη) - Demoleon (Δημολέων)
- DemeterDemeterIn Greek mythology, Demeter is the goddess of the harvest, who presided over grains, the fertility of the earth, and the seasons . Her common surnames are Sito as the giver of food or corn/grain and Thesmophoros as a mark of the civilized existence of agricultural society...
(Δημήτηρ) - Despina (Δέσποινα)
- Diocles (Διοκλῆς)
- Diogenes (Διογένης)
- DiomedesDiomedesDiomedes or Diomed is a hero in Greek mythology, known for his participation in the Trojan War.He was born to Tydeus and Deipyle and later became King of Argos, succeeding his maternal grandfather, Adrastus. In Homer's Iliad Diomedes is regarded alongside Ajax as one of the best warriors of all...
(Διομήδης) - Dionysios (Διονύσιος)
- DionysusDionysusDionysus was the god of the grape harvest, winemaking and wine, of ritual madness and ecstasy in Greek mythology. His name in Linear B tablets shows he was worshipped from c. 1500—1100 BC by Mycenean Greeks: other traces of Dionysian-type cult have been found in ancient Minoan Crete...
(Διόνυσος) - ElectraElectraIn Greek mythology, Electra was an Argive princess and daughter of King Agamemnon and Queen Clytemnestra. She and her brother Orestes plotted revenge against their mother Clytemnestra and stepfather Aegisthus for the murder of their father Agamemnon...
(Ἡλέκτρα) - Eleni (Ἑλένη)
- EteoclesEteoclesIn Greek mythology, Eteocles was a king of Thebes, the son of Oedipus and either Jocasta or Euryganeia. The name is from earlier *Etewoklewes , meaning "truly glorious". Tawaglawas is thought to be the Hittite rendition of the name. Oedipus killed his father Laius and married his mother without...
(Ἐτεοκλῆς) - EuclidEuclidEuclid , fl. 300 BC, also known as Euclid of Alexandria, was a Greek mathematician, often referred to as the "Father of Geometry". He was active in Alexandria during the reign of Ptolemy I...
(Εὐκλείδης) - EuripidesEuripidesEuripides was one of the three great tragedians of classical Athens, the other two being Aeschylus and Sophocles. Some ancient scholars attributed ninety-five plays to him but according to the Suda it was ninety-two at most...
(Εὐριπίδης) - EuropaEuropa (mythology)In Greek mythology Europa was a Phoenician woman of high lineage, from whom the name of the continent Europe has ultimately been taken. The name Europa occurs in Hesiod's long list of daughters of primordial Oceanus and Tethys...
(Εὐρώπη) - EurydiceEurydiceEurydice in Greek mythology, was an oak nymph or one of the daughters of Apollo . She was the wife of Orpheus, who loved her dearly; on their wedding day, he played joyful songs as his bride danced through the meadow. One day, a satyr saw and pursued Eurydice, who stepped on a venomous snake,...
(Εὐρυδίκη) - EurymachusEurymachusThe name Eurymachus, Evrimahos, or Eurýmakhos , is attributed to the following individuals:-Greek mythology:*In Homer’s Odyssey, Eurymachus, son of Polybus, is an Ithacan nobleman and one of the two leading suitors of Penelope, the other being Antinous...
(Εὐρύμαχος) - GaeaGaia (mythology)Gaia was the primordial Earth-goddess in ancient Greek religion. Gaia was the great mother of all: the heavenly gods and Titans were descended from her union with Uranus , the sea-gods from her union with Pontus , the Giants from her mating with Tartarus and mortal creatures were sprung or born...
(Γαῖα) - GlaucusGlaucusGlaucus is a Greek name. In modern Greek usage, the name is usually transliterated Glafkos. It may refer to:*Glaucus, a sea-god in Greek mythology*Glaucus , a mythical Lycian captain in the Trojan War...
(Γλαῦκος) - Harmonia (Ἁρμονία)
- HectorHectorIn Greek mythology, Hectōr , or Hektōr, is a Trojan prince and the greatest fighter for Troy in the Trojan War. As the first-born son of King Priam and Queen Hecuba, a descendant of Dardanus, who lived under Mount Ida, and of Tros, the founder of Troy, he was a prince of the royal house and the...
(Ἕκτωρ) - Helianthe (Ἡλιάνθη)
- HelicaonHelicaonIn Greek mythology Helicaon is the son of Antenor and Theano. His wife Laodice fell in love with Acamas....
(Ἑλικάων) - HeraHeraHera was the wife and one of three sisters of Zeus in the Olympian pantheon of Greek mythology and religion. Her chief function was as the goddess of women and marriage. Her counterpart in the religion of ancient Rome was Juno. The cow and the peacock were sacred to her...
(Ἥρα) - HeraclesHeraclesHeracles ,born Alcaeus or Alcides , was a divine hero in Greek mythology, the son of Zeus and Alcmene, foster son of Amphitryon and great-grandson of Perseus...
(Ἡρακλῆς) - HermesHermesHermes is the great messenger of the gods in Greek mythology and a guide to the Underworld. Hermes was born on Mount Kyllini in Arcadia. An Olympian god, he is also the patron of boundaries and of the travelers who cross them, of shepherds and cowherds, of the cunning of thieves, of orators and...
(Ἑρμῆς) - HermioneHermione (given name)Hermione is a female given name, derived from Greek and now current in various languages.-List of people with the given name Hermione:*Hermione of Ephesus , an early Christian martyr...
(Ἑρμιόνη) - HerodotusHerodotusHerodotus was an ancient Greek historian who was born in Halicarnassus, Caria and lived in the 5th century BC . He has been called the "Father of History", and was the first historian known to collect his materials systematically, test their accuracy to a certain extent and arrange them in a...
(Ἡρόδοτος) - HesiodHesiodHesiod was a Greek oral poet generally thought by scholars to have been active between 750 and 650 BC, around the same time as Homer. His is the first European poetry in which the poet regards himself as a topic, an individual with a distinctive role to play. Ancient authors credited him and...
(Ἡσίοδος) - HippolytaHippolytaIn Greek mythology, Hippolyta or Hippolyte is the Amazonian queen who possessed a magical girdle she was given by her father Ares, the god of war. The girdle was a waist belt that signified her authority as queen of the Amazons....
(Ἱππολύτη) - Hippolytus (Ἱππόλυτος)
- HomerHomerIn the Western classical tradition Homer , is the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, and is revered as the greatest ancient Greek epic poet. These epics lie at the beginning of the Western canon of literature, and have had an enormous influence on the history of literature.When he lived is...
(Ὅμηρος) - Hyacinth (Ὑάκινθος)
- Hypatia (Ὑπατία)
- IantheIantheIanthe was a name attributed to three figures in Greek mythology.*Ianthe was a Cretan girl who was betrothed to Iphis. Iphis was a woman raised as a man; she also fell in love with Ianthe and prayed to the gods to allow the two women to marry...
(Ἰάνθη) - IcarusIcarus-Space and astronomy:* Icarus , on the Moon* Icarus , a planetary science journal* 1566 Icarus, an asteroid* IKAROS, a interplanetary unmanned spacecraft...
(Ἴκαρος) - IdomeneusIdomeneusIn Greek mythology, Idomeneus , "strength of Ida") was a Cretan warrior, father of Orsilochus and Chalkiope, son of Deucalion, grandson of Minos and king of Crete. He led the Cretan armies to the Trojan War and was also one of Helen's suitors. Meriones was his charioteer and brother-in-arms...
(Ἰδομενεύς) - Ino (Ἰνώ)
- Iphidamas (Ἰφιδάμας)
- Iphigenia (Ἰφιγένεια)
- Irene/Irini (Εἰρήνη)
- IsmeneIsmeneIsmene is the name of two women of Greek mythology. The more famous is a daughter and half-sister of Oedipus, daughter and granddaughter of Jocasta, and sister of Antigone, Eteocles, and Polynices. She appears in several plays of Sophocles: at the end of Oedipus the King, in Oedipus at Colonus and...
(Ἰσμήνη) - JasonJasonJason was a late ancient Greek mythological hero from the late 10th Century BC, famous as the leader of the Argonauts and their quest for the Golden Fleece. He was the son of Aeson, the rightful king of Iolcus...
(Ἰάσων) - JocastaJocastaIn Greek mythology, Jocasta, also known as Jocaste , Epikastê, or Iokastê was a daughter of Menoeceus and Queen consort of Thebes, Greece. She was the wife of Laius. Wife and mother of Oedipus by Laius, and both mother and grandmother of Antigone, Eteocles, Polynices and Ismene by Oedipus...
(Ἰοκάστη) - LaodamasLaodamasIn Greek mythology, Laódamas referred to five different people.-Laódamas, son of Eteocles:Laodamas, son of Eteocles, inherited Thebes from his father...
(Λεωδάμας) - Leonidas (Λεωνίδας)
- LetoLetoIn Greek mythology, Leto is a daughter of the Titans Coeus and Phoebe. The island of Kos is claimed as her birthplace. In the Olympian scheme, Zeus is the father of her twins, Apollo and Artemis, the Letoides, which Leto conceived after her hidden beauty accidentally caught the eyes of Zeus...
(Λητώ) - Lycurgus (Λυκοῦργος)
- MedeaMedeaMedea is a woman in Greek mythology. She was the daughter of King Aeëtes of Colchis, niece of Circe, granddaughter of the sun god Helios, and later wife to the hero Jason, with whom she had two children, Mermeros and Pheres. In Euripides's play Medea, Jason leaves Medea when Creon, king of...
(Μήδεια) - MelpomeneMelpomeneMelpomene , initially the Muse of Singing, she then became the Muse of Tragedy, for which she is best known now. Her name was derived from the Greek verb melpô or melpomai meaning "to celebrate with dance and song." She is often represented with a tragic mask and wearing the cothurnus, boots...
(Μελπομένη)
- MenelausMenelausMenelaus may refer to;*Menelaus, one of the two most known Atrides, a king of Sparta and son of Atreus and Aerope*Menelaus on the Moon, named after Menelaus of Alexandria.*Menelaus , brother of Ptolemy I Soter...
(Μενέλαος) - Miltiades (Μιλτιάδης)
- NarcissusNarcissus (mythology)Narcissus or Narkissos , possibly derived from ναρκη meaning "sleep, numbness," in Greek mythology was a hunter from the territory of Thespiae in Boeotia who was renowned for his beauty. He was exceptionally proud, in that he disdained those who loved him...
(Νάρκισσος) - NestorNestor (given name)Nestor is a given name of Greek origin. It comes from that of the son of Neleus, the King of Pylos and Chloris in Greek mythology.- People with the name :** Nestor the Chronicler , reputed author of the earliest East Slavic chronicle...
(Νέστωρ) - NicanderNicanderNicander of Colophon , Greek poet, physician and grammarian, was born at Claros, , near Colophon, where his family held the hereditary priesthood of Apollo. He flourished under Attalus III of Pergamum.He wrote a number of works both in prose and verse, of which two survive complete...
(Νίκανδρος) - Nicanor (Nικάνωρ)
- NicodemusNicodemus (disambiguation)Nicodemus was a Pharisee who showed favor to Jesus. The name derives from Greek and it means victory of the people. Nicodemus may refer to one of the following:-People:*Nicodemus , Jamiacan danchall deejay...
(Νικόδημος) - OceanusOceanusOceanus ; , Ōkeanós) was a pseudo-geographical feature in classical antiquity, believed by the ancient Greeks and Romans to be the world-ocean, an enormous river encircling the world....
(Ὠκεανός) - OdysseusOdysseusOdysseus or Ulysses was a legendary Greek king of Ithaca and the hero of Homer's epic poem the Odyssey. Odysseus also plays a key role in Homer's Iliad and other works in the Epic Cycle....
(Ὀδυσσεύς) - OedipusOedipusOedipus was a mythical Greek king of Thebes. He fulfilled a prophecy that said he would kill his father and marry his mother, and thus brought disaster on his city and family...
(Οἰδίπους) - Orestis (Ὀρέστης)
- OrpheusOrpheusOrpheus was a legendary musician, poet, and prophet in ancient Greek religion and myth. The major stories about him are centered on his ability to charm all living things and even stones with his music; his attempt to retrieve his wife from the underworld; and his death at the hands of those who...
(Ὀρφεύς) - PandoraPandoraIn Greek mythology, Pandora was the first woman. As Hesiod related it, each god helped create her by giving her unique gifts...
(Πανδώρα) - PantelisPantelisPantelis is the name of a number of individuals in Greek history:* Pantelis, a Greek given name.* Pantelis Horn was a Greek naval officer and playwright of Austrian origins....
(Παντελής) - ParisParis (mythology)Paris , the son of Priam, king of Troy, appears in a number of Greek legends. Probably the best-known was his elopement with Helen, queen of Sparta, this being one of the immediate causes of the Trojan War...
(Πάρις) - PatroclusPatroclusIn Greek mythology, as recorded in the Iliad by Homer, Patroclus, or Patroklos , was the son of Menoetius, grandson of Actor, King of Opus, and was Achilles' beloved comrade and brother-in-arms....
(Πάτροκλος) - Pedaeus (Πηδαῖος)
- PeleusPeleusIn Greek mythology, Pēleus was a hero whose myth was already known to the hearers of Homer in the late 8th century BCE. Peleus was the son of Aeacus, king of the island of Aegina, and Endeïs, the oread of Mount Pelion in Thessaly; he was the father of Achilles...
(Πηλεύς) - PenelopePenelopeIn Homer's Odyssey, Penelope is the faithful wife of Odysseus, who keeps her suitors at bay in his long absence and is eventually reunited with him....
(Πηνελόπη) - PericlesPericlesPericles was a prominent and influential statesman, orator, and general of Athens during the city's Golden Age—specifically, the time between the Persian and Peloponnesian wars...
(Περικλῆς) - Phaethon (Φaίδων)
- PhilipPhilip (name)Philip is a given name, derived from the Greek Philippos , meaning "friend of horses". A common mistake is to translate the name as "lover of horses". From φίλος "lover" and ίππος "horse". While the literal translation, in Ancient Greece, the ownership of horses was available only to those rich...
(Φίλιππος) - PhilonPhilonPhilon, Athenian architect of the 4th century BC, is known as the planner of two important works: the portico of twelve Doric columns to the great Hall of the Mysteries at Eleusis and, under the administration of Lycurgus, an arsenal at Athens. Of the last we have exact knowledge from an...
(Φίλων) - Phoebe (Φοίβη)
- PhyllisPhyllisPhyllis is a character in Greek mythology, daughter of a Thracian king . She married Demophon, King of Athens and son of Theseus, while he stopped in Thrace on his journey home from the Trojan War....
(Φυλλίς) - PlatoPlatoPlato , was a Classical Greek philosopher, mathematician, student of Socrates, writer of philosophical dialogues, and founder of the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. Along with his mentor, Socrates, and his student, Aristotle, Plato helped to lay the...
(Πλάτων) - Polybus (Πόλυβος)
- PolynicesPolynicesIn Greek mythology, Polynices or Polyneices was the son of Oedipus and Jocasta. His wife was Argea. His father, Oedipus, was discovered to have killed his father and married his mother, and was expelled from Thebes, leaving his sons Eteocles and Polynices to rule...
(Πολυνείκης) - PriamPriamPriam was the king of Troy during the Trojan War and youngest son of Laomedon. Modern scholars derive his name from the Luwian compound Priimuua, which means "exceptionally courageous".- Marriage and issue :...
(Πρίαμος) - Rhea (Ῥέα)
- ScillaScillaScilla is a genus of about 50 bulb-forming perennial herbs in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae, native to woodlands, subalpine meadows, and seashores throughout Europe and Asia...
(Σκύλλα) - SeleneSeleneIn Greek mythology, Selene was an archaic lunar deity and the daughter of the Titans Hyperion and Theia. In Roman mythology, the moon goddess is called Luna, Latin for "moon"....
(Σελήνη) - SimonidesSimonides* Simonides of Ceos, , a lyric poet* Semonides of Amorgos, an iambic poet* Flavius Simonides Agrippa, son of Roman Jewish Historian Josephus* Constantine Simonides, 19th-century forger of 'ancient' manuscripts...
(Σιμωνίδης) - SocratesSocratesSocrates was a classical Greek Athenian philosopher. Credited as one of the founders of Western philosophy, he is an enigmatic figure known chiefly through the accounts of later classical writers, especially the writings of his students Plato and Xenophon, and the plays of his contemporary ...
(Σωκράτης) - SolonSolonSolon was an Athenian statesman, lawmaker, and poet. He is remembered particularly for his efforts to legislate against political, economic and moral decline in archaic Athens...
(Σόλων) - SophoclesSophoclesSophocles is one of three ancient Greek tragedians whose plays have survived. His first plays were written later than those of Aeschylus, and earlier than or contemporary with those of Euripides...
(Σοφοκλῆς) - TalthybiusTalthybiusTalthybius was herald and friend to Agamemnon in the Trojan War. He was the one who took Briseis from the tent of Achilles. Preceding the duel of Menelaus and Paris, Agamemnon charges him to fetch a sheep for sacrifice. He died at Aegium in Achaia....
(Ταλθύβιος) - Takiah (Ταώραα)
- Tamara (Ταλῆέσ)
- TelemachusTelemachusTelemachus is a figure in Greek mythology, the son of Odysseus and Penelope, and a central character in Homer's Odyssey. The first four books in particular focus on Telemachus' journeys in search of news about his father, who has been away at war...
(Τηλέμαχος) - Tethys (Τηθύς)
- ThaleiaThaleiaThaleia is a genus of minute sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks or micromollusks in the family Rissoidae....
(Θάλεια) - TheanoTheanoTheano was the priestess of Athena in Troy. She was the daughter of the Thracian king Cisseus and Telecleia, wife of Antenor, and mother of many sons and a daughter Crino. The household of Antenor and Theano advocated peace and advised Helen's return to the Greeks. Because of their support , the...
(Θεανώ) - TheseusTheseusFor other uses, see Theseus Theseus was the mythical founder-king of Athens, son of Aethra, and fathered by Aegeus and Poseidon, both of whom Aethra had slept with in one night. Theseus was a founder-hero, like Perseus, Cadmus, or Heracles, all of whom battled and overcame foes that were...
(Θησεύς) - ThestorThestorThestor is a genus of butterfly in the Lycaenidae family.-Species:*Thestor barbatus Henning & Henning, 1997*Thestor basutus *Thestor brachycerus *Thestor braunsi van Son, 1941...
(Θέστωρ) - ThetisThetisSilver-footed Thetis , disposer or "placer" , is encountered in Greek mythology mostly as a sea nymph or known as the goddess of water, one of the fifty Nereids, daughters of the ancient one of the seas with shape-shifting abilities who survives in the historical vestiges of most later Greek myths...
(Θέτις) - UraniaUraniaUrania was, in Greek mythology, the muse of astronomy. Some accounts list her as the mother of the musician Linus. She is usually depicted with a globe in her left hand. She is able to foretell the future by the arrangement of the stars...
(Οὐρανία) - UranusUranus (mythology)Uranus , was the primal Greek god personifying the sky. His equivalent in Roman mythology was Caelus. In Ancient Greek literature, according to Hesiod in his Theogony, Uranus or Father Sky was the son and husband of Gaia, Mother Earth...
(Οὐρανός) - XanthippeXanthippeXanthippe was the wife of Socrates and mother of their three sons: Lamprocles, Sophroniscus, and Menexenus. There are far more stories about her than there are facts. She was likely much younger than Socrates, perhaps by as much as forty years.-Name:...
(Ξανθίππη) - XenophonXenophonXenophon , son of Gryllus, of the deme Erchia of Athens, also known as Xenophon of Athens, was a Greek historian, soldier, mercenary, philosopher and a contemporary and admirer of Socrates...
(Ξενοφῶν) - Zeno (Ζήνων)
Old and New Testament names
- AndreasAndrewAndrew is the English form of a given name and surname common in many countries. Alternatives include André, Andrey, Andrei, Andrej, András, Andrés, Andreas, Andreu, Anders and Endrew. ‘Andrew’ is a common name in English-speaking countries. In the 1990s it was among the top ten most popular names...
(Ἀνδρέας) - AnnaAnna (given name)Anna is a Latin form of the Greek name Greek Ἄννα and the Hebrew name Hannah . Anna is in wide use in countries across the world as are its variants Anne, originally a French version of the name, though in use in English speaking countries for hundreds of years, and Ann, which was originally the...
(Ἄννα) - DanielDanielDaniel is the protagonist in the Book of Daniel of the Hebrew Bible. In the narrative, when Daniel was a young man, he was taken into Babylonian captivity where he was educated in Chaldean thought. However, he never converted to Neo-Babylonian ways...
(Δανιήλ) - Elias (Ἠλίας)
- Emmanuel (Εμμανουήλ)
- EvaEva (name)Eva is a female given name, the Latinate counterpart of English Eve, derived from a Hebrew name meaning "life" or "living one." It can also mean full of Life or mother of life. It is the standard biblical form of Eve in many European languages.-Popularity:...
(Εύα) - GabrielGabrielIn Abrahamic religions, Gabriel is an Archangel who typically serves as a messenger to humans from God.He first appears in the Book of Daniel, delivering explanations of Daniel's visions. In the Gospel of Luke Gabriel foretells the births of both John the Baptist and of Jesus...
(Γαβριήλ) - IsaiasIsaiahIsaiah ; Greek: ', Ēsaïās ; "Yahu is salvation") was a prophet in the 8th-century BC Kingdom of Judah.Jews and Christians consider the Book of Isaiah a part of their Biblical canon; he is the first listed of the neviim akharonim, the later prophets. Many of the New Testament teachings of Jesus...
(Ἠσαΐας) - IakovosJames (name)The name James is derived from the same Hebrew name as Jacob, meaning "Supplanter" ....
(Ἰάκωβος)
- IeremiasJeremiahJeremiah Hebrew：יִרְמְיָה , Modern Hebrew:Yirməyāhū, IPA: jirməˈjaːhu, Tiberian:Yirmĭyahu, Greek:Ἰερεμίας), meaning "Yahweh exalts", or called the "Weeping prophet" was one of the main prophets of the Hebrew Bible...
(Ἱερεμίας) - JoachimJoachimSaint Joachim was the husband of Saint Anne and the father of Mary, the mother of Jesus in the Roman Catholic, Orthodox, and Anglican traditions. The story of Joachim and Anne appears first in the apocryphal Gospel of James...
(Ἰωακείμ) - Ioannis (Ἰωάννης/Γιάννης)
- JosephJoseph (name)Joseph is a name originating from Hebrew, recorded in the Hebrew Bible, as יוֹסֵף, Standard Hebrew Yosef, Tiberian Hebrew and Aramaic Yôsēp̄. In Arabic, including in the Qur'an, the name is spelled يوسف or Yūsuf. The name can be translated from Hebrew יהוה להוסיף Yihoh Lhosif as signifying "YHWH...
(Ἰωσήφ) - LukasLukeLuke is a male given name, and less commonly, a surname.The name Luke is derived from the Latin name , from an Ancient Greek , meaning "man from Lucania". The earliest known recording of the name is from the Bible, The Gospel of Luke, which was written around AD 70 to 90, and it is from here...
(Λουκᾶς) - MarkosMark (given name)Mark is a common male given name and is derived from old Latin "Mart-kos", which means "consecrated to the god Mars". Marcus was one of the three most common given names in Ancient Rome. See Roman given names.-Acting:* Mark A...
(Μάρκος) - Maria, MaryMary (given name)Mary is a feminine given name, the English form of the name Maria, which was in turn a Latin form of the Greek names Μαριαμ, or Mariam, and Μαρια, or Maria, found in the New Testament. Both New Testament names were forms of the Hebrew name מִרְיָם or Miryam.The usual meaning given by various...
(Μαρία/Μαίρη) - MarthaMarthaMartha of Bethany is a biblical figure described in the Gospels of Luke and John. Together with her siblings Lazarus and Mary, she is described as living in the village of Bethany near Jerusalem...
(Μάρθα) - MatthaiosMatthew (name)Matthew is a given name that ultimately comes from the Hebrew name Matityahu. It was first named to Saint Matthew, who was one of the twelve disciples and credited with the authorship of the Gospel of Matthew...
(Ματθαῖος)
- MichaelMichaelMichael is a given name that comes from the , derived from the Hebrew question מי כמו אלוהים? meaning "Who is like God?" In English, it is sometimes shortened to Mike, Mikey, or, especially in Ireland, Mick...
(Μιχαήλ/Μιχάλης) - MosesMosesMoses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
(Μωϋσῆς) - Pavlos (Παῦλος)
- Petros (Πέτρος)
- SarahSarahSarah or Sara was the wife of Abraham and the mother of Isaac as described in the Hebrew Bible and the Quran. Her name was originally Sarai...
(Σάρα) - Simeon (Συμεών)
- SolomonSolomonSolomon , according to the Book of Kings and the Book of Chronicles, a King of Israel and according to the Talmud one of the 48 prophets, is identified as the son of David, also called Jedidiah in 2 Samuel 12:25, and is described as the third king of the United Monarchy, and the final king before...
(Σολομών) - StephanosStephenStephen or Steven is a masculine first name, derived from the Greek name Στέφανος meaning "crown, garland", in turn from the Greek word "στέφανος", meaning "wreath, crown, honour, reward", literally "that which surrounds or encompasses". In ancient Greece a wreath was given to the winner of a...
(Στέφανος) - Zacharias (Ζαχαρίας)
Early Christian (Byzantine) names
- AikaterineKatherine (given name)Katherine is a feminine name, which is popular in historically Christian countries, owing to its having been the name of one of the first Christian saints, Catherine of Alexandria.-Origin and meaning:...
(Αἰκατερίνη/Κατερίνα) - AlexiosAlexiusAlexius is the Latinized form of the given name Alexios , especially common in the later Byzantine Empire. Variants include Alexis with the Russian Aleksey and its Ukrainian counterpart Oleksa/Oleksiy deriving from this form...
(Ἀλέξιος/Ἀλέξης) - Anastasios (Ἀναστάσιος/Τάσος)
- Antonios (Ἀντώνιος/Ἀντώνης)
- Athanasios (Ἀθανάσιος/Θανάσης)
- Anthimos (Ἄνθιμος)
- BarbaraBarbara (given name)Barbara, sometimes spelt Barbra, is a female given name used in numerous languages. It is the feminine form of the Greek word barbaros meaning "foreign" . In Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox tradition, Saint Barbara was martyred by her father, who was then punished with death by lightning. As...
(Βαρβάρα) - VasiliosBasil (name)The name Basil , , has origins from the male Greek name Vassilios which first appeared during the Hellenistic period. It is derived from "basileus" a Greek word of pre-Hellenic origin meaning "king", from which words such as basilica and basilisk , as well as the eponymous herb derive, and the...
(Βασίλειος/Βασίλης) - CalliopeCalliopeIn Greek mythology, Calliope was the muse of epic poetry, daughter of Zeus and Mnemosyne, and is now best known as Homer's muse, the inspiration for the Odyssey and the Iliad....
(Καλλιόπη) - Christoforos (Χριστόφορος)
- Christina (Χριστίνα)
- KonstantinosConstantine (name)Constantine is a masculine given name and surname which is derived from the Latin name Constantinus, a hypocoristic of the first names Constans and Constantius, both meaning "constant, steadfast" in Latin. The names are the Latin equivalents of the Greek name Eustáthios, meaning the same...
(Κωνσταντῖνος/Κώστας) - KyrillosCyrilCyril is a masculine given name. It is derived from the Greek name Κύριλλος meaning "Lordly, Masterful" which in turn derives from Greek κυριος "Lord"...
(Κύριλλος)
- DamianosDamian (given name)Damian, also spelled Damien, Daymian, Daymein, Дамиан , Damiano, Дамјан , Damião, Дамян , Демьян , etc., is a given name from the Latin Damianus which is the latinisation of the Greek Δαμιανός , derived from the Greek word δαμάζω , "to conquer, master, overcome, tame", in the form of δαμάω/-ώ , a...
(Δαμιανός) - DimitriosDemetriusDemetrius, also spelled as Demetrios, Dimitrios, Demitri, and Dimitri , is a male given name.Demetrius and its variations may refer to the following:...
(Δημήτριος/Δημήτρης) - Despina (Δέσποινα)
- Evangelos (Εὐάγγελος)
- Eudocia (Εὐδοκία)
- Eudoxia (Εὐδοξία)
- EvgeniaEugenia (name)Eugenia is a feminine first name related to the masculine name Eugene that comes from the Greek eugenes "well-born," from eu- "well" + -genes "born." Variants include Eugênia , Eugénie and Yevgeniya or Yevgenia ....
(Εὐγενία) - GeorgiosGeorge (given name)George, from the Greek word γεωργός , "farmer" or "earth-worker", which became a name in Greek: Γεώργιος , and Latin: Georgius. The word γεωργός is a compound word, formed by the words ge , "earth", "soil" and ergon , "work"...
(Γεώργιος/Γιώργος) - Gregorios (Γρηγόριος/Γρηγόρης)
- Eleni (Ἑλένη)
- IouliaJuliaJulia is usually a woman's given name or a surname. It is a Latinate feminine form of the name Julius. Julius was a Roman family, derived from a founder Julus, the son of Aeneas and Creusa in Roman mythology, although the name's etymology may possibly derive from Greek "downy-[haired,...
(Ιουλία) - IreneIreneIrene is a name derived from the Greek word εἰρήνη meaning "peace". It may also be spelled or transliterated as "Irini", "Eirene", or "Eirini".It may refer to:-Mythical figures:* Eirene , one of the Horae...
(Εἰρήνη) - Margarita (Μαργαρίτα)
- Miltiades (Μιλτιάδης)
- NikolaosNicholasNicholas or Nikolas is a male given name, derived from the Greek name Νικόλαος , a combination of the words for "victory" and "people" . The name can be understood to mean victory of the people or "power of the people"...
(Νικόλαος/Νίκος) - PanagiotisPanagiotisPanagiotis , pronounced Panayiodis or Banayiodis is sometimes phonetically transliterated as Panayiotis or latinized as Panagiotes, it is a common male Greek name deriving from the epithet Panagia , which is one of the titles of Mary, the mother of Jesus in Orthodox Christianity...
(Παναγιώτης) - ProcopiosProcopius (disambiguation)Procopius may refer to:*Procopius , family of the later Roman Empire; or any of its members; in particular:**Procopius , Roman usurper...
(Προκόπιος) - Savvas (Σάββας)
- SofiaSophia (name)Sophia is a female name derived from σοφία, the Greek word for "Wisdom." Sophie is from the French form. Sophia has been a popular name throughout the western world...
(Σοφία) - Spyridon (Σπυρίδων/Σπύρος)
- Stavros (Σταῦρος)
- Stylianos (Στυλιανός/Στέλιος)
- Theodoros (Θεόδωρος)
- Theofilos (Θεόφιλος)
- TimotheosTimothy (name)Timothy is a masculine given name. It comes from the Greek name meaning "honoring God" or "honored by God". It is a common name in several countries, including non-English speaking ones....
(Τιμόθεος) - Zoe (Ζωή)
Traditions
It is a strong Greek traditionTradition
A tradition is a ritual, belief or object passed down within a society, still maintained in the present, with origins in the past. Common examples include holidays or impractical but socially meaningful clothes , but the idea has also been applied to social norms such as greetings...
since antiquity for newborn children to be named after their grandparents. This results in a continuation of names in the family line. Yet, new names are also introduced into the family, with the Greek language
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
having a very large list of both male
Male
Male refers to the biological sex of an organism, or part of an organism, which produces small mobile gametes, called spermatozoa. Each spermatozoon can fuse with a larger female gamete or ovum, in the process of fertilization...
and female
Female
Female is the sex of an organism, or a part of an organism, which produces non-mobile ova .- Defining characteristics :The ova are defined as the larger gametes in a heterogamous reproduction system, while the smaller, usually motile gamete, the spermatozoon, is produced by the male...
names. There is a strong clustering of first names by locality according to patron saints, famous churches or monasteries. Examples include the name Spyridon in Corfu
Corfu
Corfu is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. It is the second largest of the Ionian Islands, and, including its small satellite islands, forms the edge of the northwestern frontier of Greece. The island is part of the Corfu regional unit, and is administered as a single municipality. The...
, Gerasimos in Kefalonia
Kefalonia
The island of Cephalonia, also known as Kefalonia, Cephallenia, Cephallonia, Kefallinia, or Kefallonia , is the largest of the Ionian Islands in western Greece, with an area of . It is also a separate regional unit of the Ionian Islands region, and the only municipality of the regional unit...
, Dionysia and Dionysios in Zakynthos
Zakynthos
Zakynthos , also Zante, the other form often used in English and in Italian , is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. It is the third largest of the Ionian Islands. It is also a separate regional unit of the Ionian Islands region, and the only municipality of the regional unit. It covers an area of ...
, Andreas and Andriana in Patras
Patras
Patras , ) is Greece's third largest urban area and the regional capital of West Greece, located in northern Peloponnese, 215 kilometers west of Athens...
, Markella and Markos in the Aegean Islands long under Venetian
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice or Venetian Republic was a state originating from the city of Venice in Northeastern Italy. It existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century until 1797. It was formally known as the Most Serene Republic of Venice and is often referred to as La Serenissima, in...
rule, Savvas among refugees from Asia Minor
Asia Minor
Asia Minor is a geographical location at the westernmost protrusion of Asia, also called Anatolia, and corresponds to the western two thirds of the Asian part of Turkey...
, Emmanuel, Joseph and Mēnas in Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
etc.
Greek surnames
GreekGreek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
surname
Family name
A family name is a type of surname and part of a person's name indicating the family to which the person belongs. The use of family names is widespread in cultures around the world...
s are most commonly patronymics. Occupation, characteristic and location/origin-based surnames names also occur. The feminine version of Greek surnames is generally the genitive
Genitive case
In grammar, genitive is the grammatical case that marks a noun as modifying another noun...
of the girl's father's or woman's husband's name; so, for example, Mr. Yannatos and Mrs. Yannatou
Savina Yannatou
Savina Yannatou is a renowned Greek singer.After taking classical guitar lessons and participating in the children's choir of Yannis Nousias for some years, she studied singing with Gogo Georgilopoulou and Spiros Sakkas in Athens, and later attended postgraduate studies at the Guildhall School of...
.
Because of their codification in the Modern Greek state, surnames have Katharevousa
Katharevousa
Katharevousa , is a form of the Greek language conceived in the early 19th century as a compromise between Ancient Greek and the Modern Greek of the time, with a vocabulary largely based on ancient forms, but a much-simplified grammar. Originally, it was widely used both for literary and official...
forms even though Katharevousa is no longer the official standard. Thus, the Ancient Greek name Eleutherios forms the Modern Greek proper name Lefteris, and former vernacular practice (prefixing the surname to the proper name) was to call John Eleutherios as Leftero-giannis. Modern practice is to call the same person Giannis Eleftheriou: the proper name is vernacular (and not Ioannis), but the surname is an archaic genitive. Female surnames, are most often in the Katharevousa genitive case
Genitive case
In grammar, genitive is the grammatical case that marks a noun as modifying another noun...
of a male name. This is an innovation of the Modern Greek state; Byzantine practice was to form a feminine counterpart of the male surname (e.g. masculine Palaiológos, Byzantine feminine Palaiologína, Modern feminine Palaiológou).
In the past, women would change their surname when married, to that of their husband (again in genitive case) signifying the transfer of "dependence" from the father to the husband. In earlier Modern Greek society, women were named with -aina as a feminine suffix on the husband's first name: for example "Giorgaina" or "Wife of George". Nowadays, a woman's surname does not change upon marriage, though she can use the husband's surname socially. Children usually receive the paternal surname, though there are cases where children receive the maternal surname in addition or exclusively.
In official documents, the father's name in the Genitive will be inserted between a person's first and last names. For example, if John Papadopoulos has a daughter named Mary and a son named Andrew, they will be referred to as María Ioánnou Papadopoúlou and Andréas Ioánnou Papadópoulos. When Mary marries George Demetriádes, she may retain her original name or choose to be called María Geōrgíou Demetriádou. If she is widowed, she will revert to her father's patronymic but retain her husband's surname: María Ioánnou Demetriádou.
Some surnames are prefixed with Papa-, indicating ancestry from a priest, i.e. ."Papakostas
Lambros Papakostas
Lambros Papakostas is a retired Greek high jumper who won two silver medals at the World Indoor Championships in 1995 and 1997. His personal best, achieved in Athens in 1992, was 2.36 metres. He is an eight-time national champion for Greece in the men's high jump event.-Achievements:-External links:...
", the "son of Kostas, the priest (papas)". Others, like Archi- and Mastro- signify "boss" and "tradesman
Tradesman
This article is about the skilled manual worker meaning of the term; for other uses see Tradesperson .A tradesman is a skilled manual worker in a particular trade or craft. Economically and socially, a tradesman's status is considered between a laborer and a professional, with a high degree of both...
" respectively. Prefixes such as Konto-, Makro-, and Chondro-, describe body characteristics, such as "short", "tall/long" and "fat". "Gero-" and "Palaio-" signify "old" or "wise".
Other prefixes include Hadji
Hajji
Hajji or El-Hajj, is an honorific title given to a Muslim person who has successfully completed the Hajj to Mecca, and is often used to refer to an elder, since it can take time to accumulate the wealth to fund the travel. The title is placed before a person's name...
- which was an honorific deriving from the Arabic Hadj or pilgrimage, and indicate that the person had made a pilgrimage (in the case of Christians to Jerusalem) like "Hatzipanagis
Vassilis Hatzipanagis
Vassilis Hatzipanagis is a retired football attacking midfield. He played for Iraklis FC in Greek Alpha Ethniki and Pakhtakor Tashkent in the Soviet Top League...
", and Kara- which is attributed to the Turkish word for "black" deriving from the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
era such as "Karatasos
Dimitrios Karatasos
Dimitrios Tsamis Karatasos , was a Greek armatolos, the son of Anastasios Karatasos who had proclaimed the Greek Revolution in the Naoussa area in 1821....
".
Arvanite
Arvanites
Arvanites are a population group in Greece who traditionally speak Arvanitika, a dialect of the Albanian language. They settled in Greece during the late Middle Ages and were the dominant population element of some regions of the Peloponnese and Attica until the 19th century...
surnames are also common. For example, the word in Arvanitika for "brave" or "pallikari" (in Greek) being "çanavar" (Turkish canavar meaning "monster") or its shortened form "çavar" was pronounced "tzanavar" or "tzavar" giving birth to traditional Arvanitic family names like "Tzanavaras" and/or "Tzavaras
Tzavaras
According to genealogical researchers the surname Tzavaras can be classified as of patronymic / nickname origin.It is either the Hellenization of the Albanian word çanavar which means "monster" or "brave", but within a historical context would signify “mercenary” and later on “jannisary”; or a...
".
Most Greek patronymic suffixes are diminutives, which vary by region. The most common Hellenic patronymic suffixes are:
- -akis (-άκης): associated primarily with CreteCreteCrete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
and the Aegean Islands.
Examples may include: "Mitsotakis", "Theodorakis
Mikis Theodorakis
Mikis Theodorakis is one of the most renowned Greek songwriters and composers. Internationally, he is probably best known for his songs and for his scores for the films Zorba the Greek , Z , and Serpico .Politically, he identified with the left until the late 1980s; in 1989, he ran as an...
" and "Doukakis
Olympia Dukakis
Olympia Dukakis is an American actress. In 1987, she won an Academy Award, BAFTA, and a Golden Globe for her performance in Moonstruck...
" among many others.
- -as (-ᾶς): from MacedoniaMacedonia (Greece)Macedonia is a geographical and historical region of Greece in Southern Europe. Macedonia is the largest and second most populous Greek region...
and the EpirusEpirusThe name Epirus, from the Greek "Ήπειρος" meaning continent may refer to:-Geographical:* Epirus - a historical and geographical region of the southwestern Balkans, straddling modern Greece and Albania...
.
Examples may include: "Melas
Pavlos Melas
Pavlos Melas was an officer of the Hellenic Army, and he was among the first who organized and participated in the Greek Struggle for Macedonia....
", "Dimas
Pyrros Dimas
TotalTotalPyrros Dimas , born on 13 October 1971) is a retired Greek weightlifter, considered as one of the greatest of all time, having been three times Olympic champion and three times World Champion.- Background :...
", "Zorbas" and "Zappas", among many others.
- -atos (-ᾶτος): from CefaloniaKefaloniaThe island of Cephalonia, also known as Kefalonia, Cephallenia, Cephallonia, Kefallinia, or Kefallonia , is the largest of the Ionian Islands in western Greece, with an area of . It is also a separate regional unit of the Ionian Islands region, and the only municipality of the regional unit...
) suffix of ItalianItalian languageItalian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
derivation. This suffix can trace its routes in VenetoVenetoVeneto is one of the 20 regions of Italy. Its population is about 5 million, ranking 5th in Italy.Veneto had been for more than a millennium an independent state, the Republic of Venice, until it was eventually annexed by Italy in 1866 after brief Austrian and French rule...
where is still very common (although without the Greek nominative caseNominative caseThe nominative case is one of the grammatical cases of a noun or other part of speech, which generally marks the subject of a verb or the predicate noun or predicate adjective, as opposed to its object or other verb arguments...
characteristic -s, as -ato). This can be explained because of Cefalonia being a part of the Venetian Republic for almost 500 years and as it was the only of the Ionian IslandsIonian IslandsThe Ionian Islands are a group of islands in Greece. They are traditionally called the Heptanese, i.e...
where VenetianVenetian languageVenetian or Venetan is a Romance language spoken as a native language by over two million people, mostly in the Veneto region of Italy, where of five million inhabitants almost all can understand it. It is sometimes spoken and often well understood outside Veneto, in Trentino, Friuli, Venezia...
had a wider spread, during and after the Venetian period, with a great number of people adopting Venetian as their first language.
Examples may include: "Georgatos", "Cosmatos
George Pan Cosmatos
George Pan Cosmatos was a Greek/Italian film director. After studying film in London, he became assistant director to Otto Preminger on Exodus , Leon Uris's epic about the birth of Israel. Thereafter he worked on Zorba the Greek , in which Cosmatos had a small part as Boy with Acne...
" and "Manatos
Andrew Manatos
Andy Manatos was a former Assistant Secretary of Commerce in the administration of President Jimmy Carter. He was the youngest sub-cabinet official in the administration and led the effort that moved the Foreign Commercial Service from the State Department to the Commerce Department...
", among many others.
- -allis (-άλλης) and -ellis (-έλλης): are both suffixes deriving especially from the DodecaneseDodecaneseThe Dodecanese are a group of 12 larger plus 150 smaller Greek islands in the Aegean Sea, of which 26 are inhabited. Τhis island group generally defines the eastern limit of the Sea of Crete. They belong to the Southern Sporades island group...
, mainly RhodesRhodesRhodes is an island in Greece, located in the eastern Aegean Sea. It is the largest of the Dodecanese islands in terms of both land area and population, with a population of 117,007, and also the island group's historical capital. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within...
Examples may include "Georgallis" and "Kanellis
Maria Kanellis
Maria Louise Kanellis, , or simply Maria, is a singer-songwriter, actress, model, and professional wrestler, best known for her time with World Wrestling Entertainment. Kanellis's career began as a contestant on the reality show Outback Jack in 2004...
" among many others.
- -idis/-ides and -iadis/iades (-ίδης/-ιάδης): both very ancient last names and clan forms used in the PontusPontusPontus or Pontos is a historical Greek designation for a region on the southern coast of the Black Sea, located in modern-day northeastern Turkey. The name was applied to the coastal region in antiquity by the Greeks who colonized the area, and derived from the Greek name of the Black Sea: Πόντος...
and Asia MinorAsia MinorAsia Minor is a geographical location at the westernmost protrusion of Asia, also called Anatolia, and corresponds to the western two thirds of the Asian part of Turkey...
regions.
Examples may include: "Stavridis", "Koutoufides
Anthony Koutoufides
Anthony Koutoufides is a former Australian rules footballer with the Carlton Football Club. One of the most powerful and athletic players of all-time, he played in almost every position and was often called the prototype of the modern footballer.Of Greek and Italian descent, Koutoufides has been...
", "Angelidis
Phil Angelides
Philip Nicholas "Phil" Angelides is an American politician who was California State Treasurer and the unsuccessful Democratic nominee for Governor of California in the 2006 elections...
" and "Georgiadis
Nikos Sampson
Nikos Sampson was the de facto president of Cyprus who succeeded Archbishop Makarios, President of Cyprus, in 1974. Sampson was a journalist and a member of EOKA, which rose against the British colonial administration, seeking Enosis of the island of Cyprus with Greece...
" among many others.
- -opoulos (-όπουλος): this suffix, meaning "descendant of", originated from the PeloponnesePeloponneseThe Peloponnese, Peloponnesos or Peloponnesus , is a large peninsula , located in a region of southern Greece, forming the part of the country south of the Gulf of Corinth...
in the 10th century, but has become very widespread throughout the whole GreeceGreeceGreece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
.
Examples may include: "Stamatelopoulos
Nikitaras
Nikitaras was the nom de guerre of Nikitas Stamatelopoulos , a Greek revolutionary in the Greek War of Independence. Due to his fighting prowess, he was known as the "Τουρκοφάγος" , literally "Turk-Eater"....
", "Papadopoulos
Tassos Papadopoulos
Tassos Nikolaou Papadopoulos was a Cypriot politician. He served as the fifth President of the Republic of Cyprus from February 28, 2003 to February 28, 2008.His parents were Nicolas and Aggeliki from Assia. He was the first of three children...
", "Gianopoulos" and "Anagnostopoulos
Spiro Agnew
Spiro Theodore Agnew was the 39th Vice President of the United States , serving under President Richard Nixon, and the 55th Governor of Maryland...
" among many others.
- -oglou (-όγλου): a Turkish root (-oğlu, "son of") ending seen in immigrants from Asia MinorAsia MinorAsia Minor is a geographical location at the westernmost protrusion of Asia, also called Anatolia, and corresponds to the western two thirds of the Asian part of Turkey...
.
Examples may include: "Tsolakoglou
Georgios Tsolakoglou
Georgios Tsolakoglou was a Greek military officer who became the first Prime Minister of the Greek collaborationist government during the Axis Occupation in 1941-1942.-Military career:...
", "Ardizoglou
Christos Ardizoglou
Christos Ardizoglou is a former Greek football player. He started his career with Apollon Smyrnis and won several titles in Greece with AEK Athens, for whom he played 291 matches and scored 63 goals in all competitions. His greatest moment was reaching the UEFA Cup semi-finals in 1977...
" and "Patsatzoglou" among many others.
- -ou (-ου): genitive mainly from CyprusCyprusCyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
.
Examples may include: "Afxentiou
Grigoris Afxentiou
Grigoris Pieris Afxentiou was a guerrilla fighter who fought against the British rule of Cyprus and is considered a national hero. In the hierarchy of EOKA he was second in command to general Georgios Grivas...
", "Economou
George Economou
George Economou is an American poet and translator.-Life:George Economou was born on September 24, 1934, in Great Falls, Montana, to Amelia Ananiadis Economou and Demetrios George Economou, a businessman and rancher, both of whom emigrated to the United States from Greece...
", "Konstantinou
Michalis Konstantinou
Michalis Konstantinou is a Cypriot football striker. He plays for the Cyprus national football team, and is already the all-time leading scorer with 32 goals in 80 appearances....
" and "Gregoriou
George Gregoriou
George Gregoriou is an American political writer and professor of Greek Cypriot origins. Born in Cyprus in 1936 into a nationalistic family; his father was interned by the colonial authorities during the insurrection in 1931...
" among many others.
- -akos (-ᾶκος): mainly from LaconiaLaconiaLaconia , also known as Lacedaemonia, is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of Peloponnese. It is situated in the southeastern part of the Peloponnese peninsula. Its administrative capital is Sparti...
particularly the Laconian part of the Mani peninsulaMani PeninsulaThe Mani Peninsula , also long known as Maina or Maïna, is a geographical and cultural region in Greece. Mani is the central peninsula of the three which extend southwards from the Peloponnese in southern Greece. To the east is the Laconian Gulf, to the west the Messenian Gulf...
.
Examples may include: "Xarhakos
Stavros Xarhakos
Stavros Litras is a Greek composer and conductor.Stavros Xarchakos was born in Athens, where he studied at the Athens Conservatoire. He emerged in the Greek music scene around 1963, composing music for the theatre and cinema...
" and "Kyrgiakos" among many others.
- -eas (-εας): mainly from the MesseniaMesseniaMessenia is a regional unit in the southwestern part of the Peloponnese region, one of 13 regions into which Greece has been divided by the Kallikratis plan, implemented 1 January 2011...
n part of the Mani peninsulaMani PeninsulaThe Mani Peninsula , also long known as Maina or Maïna, is a geographical and cultural region in Greece. Mani is the central peninsula of the three which extend southwards from the Peloponnese in southern Greece. To the east is the Laconian Gulf, to the west the Messenian Gulf...
.
Examples may include: "Koteas
Elias Koteas
Elias Koteas is a Canadian actor of film and television, best known for his roles in The Prophecy, Fallen and the live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles films.-Early life:...
", "Georgeas
Nikolaos Georgeas
Nikolaos "Nikos" Georgeas is a Greek footballer. He currently plays as a right back for AEK Athens in the Greek Super League.-Club career:...
" and "Charisteas
Angelos Charisteas
Angelos Charisteas was born on 9 February 1980 in Strymoniko, Serres, but originates from Mani. He is a Greek football player who currently plays as a striker for Panetolikos F.C....
" among many others.
External links
- Lexicon of Greek Personal Names, a Major Research Project of the British Academy, Oxford, contains over 35,000 published Greek names.
- Etymology and History of Greek Names
Further reading
- Matthews, Elaine; Hornblower, Simon; Fraser, Peter Marshall, Greek Personal Names: Their Value as Evidence, Proceedings of The British Academy (104), Oxford University Press, 2000. ISBN 0197262163