Church records in Greece are an excellent source of information for genealogists. As civil vital records started to be systematically kept only after the re-organization of the Municipalities’ Registry Offices in 1925, church records are of paramount importance. There are two categories of church vital records:
- Baptismal, marriage, and death records kept by a parish priest.
- Marriage licenses kept by an area’s Metropolis in Greece.
Parish church records
For the years before 1925, the primary keeper of vital records was the Greek Orthodox Church, and specifically its local representatives, parish priests. Kept by local priests, parish church records often changed hands, which in many cases caused loss or destruction of records. Usually, these records start from the late nineteenth or the early twentieth century.
Parish church records are not found in the form of certificates but rather in that of indexes. Index templates ensured that parish church books followed a specific logic and structure. Early birth/baptismal records may include the following: the date and place of birth, the child’s sex, their parent’s names, the date of baptism, the child’s given name, the name and surname of the godfather, and that of the priest. Marriage records may include the names of the spouses, their ages, their parents’ names (in most cases, the fathers’ names only), the date and place of the marriage, and the priest’s name. Death records may include the following: the date and place of death, the name and age of the deceased, their marital status, their parents’ names (in most cases, the father’s name only), and their occupation.
Around 1912-1913, the central Church authorities introduced a new template to the villages. The new template added the residence and occupation of the godfather/godmother, the place of baptism on birth records, the place of birth, and a funeral date for death records. For marriage records, it added the date of marriage, residence for the groom and bride, and the names, surnames, and residences of the best man and maid/matron of honor.
Metropolis marriage records
![Marriage Record of Spyridon S. Niarchos and Evgenia Koumantarou MyHeritage Sparta Marriages Collection, 1835–1935]](/wiki/File:Marriage_Record_of_Spyridon_S_Niarchos_and_Evgenia_Koumantarou_MyHeritage_Sparta_Marriages_Collection_1835%E2%80%931935.png)
The Metropolis required the local Bishop’s approval for an Orthodox couple to marry. The parish priest would address an application to the Bishop, including all the necessary information about the couple. The Bishop or an authorized representative would reply by granting permission and issuing a corresponding marriage license. This process ensured the marriage was legitimate and that the future husband and wife were not closely related to each other (second cousins or closer).
A Metropolis marriage records collection typically consists of 1) an index of marriage licenses and 2) the license documentation. Generally, indexes follow a specific structure and usually include the following information: the marriage date, the number, and date of the marriage license; the name, surname, age, and residence of the groom and the bride; the names of their fathers, whether it was each spouse’s first, second or third marriage, the names of the best man and maid of honor, the name of the church, and the name of the priest. On the other hand, the information provided by license documentation varies. Apart from the information already listed in the index, this documentation may include additional details about the couple and their families and certificates.
Where to find more Greek records
Parish church vital records can be found at the local church, while marriage licenses are at the corresponding Metropolis.
An extensive digitization program sponsored and hosted by MyHeritage, organized by Gregory Kontos of Greek Ancestry and operated by Carol Kostakos Petranek, has secured the preservation and accessibility of the entire marriages collection (1835-1935) of the Metropolis of Monemvasia and Sparta.
Church vital records are considered reliable sources, often more reliable than civil records, as at the time or soon after a critical event occurred, the source, a close relative, or a family friend recorded the event.
See also
Research Greek records on MyHeritage
Explore more about church records in Greece
- Greece, Sparta Marriages 1835-1935records collection at MyHeritage consists of city directories from Greece from the first half of the twentieth century.
- Greece, Electoral Rolls and Male Registers, 1856-1950 records collection at MyHeritage includes the election material of the Vlachogiannis Collection of the General State Archives of Greece.
- Greece, Asia Minor Refugees, 1914-1923 records collection at MyHeritage contains immigration records of the refugees who received compensation for property they left behind when they emigrated from Turkey to Greece after the 1923 Population Exchange Treaty.
- Greece, Corfu Vital Records, 1841-1932 on MyHeritage consists of birth, marriage, and death certificates from the entire island of Corfu, kept at the General State Archives of Corfu.
- Greece, City Directories, 1901-1947 records collection at MyHeritage consists of city directories from Greece from the first half of the twentieth century. Records may contain the full name, residence, and occupation of the individual.
- Greece, Farmers Census 1856 on MyHeritage contains records that typically include the name of the individual, their birth year, residence, and may include the father's name.
- The Greek Genealogy Guidebook is a source for learning about Greek genealogy and family history, written by Gregory Kontos, Alexandra Kiritsy, and Carol Kostakos Petranek.
- Ask the Expert – New Greek Records on MyHeritage on the MyHeritage Knowledge Base.
- An Introduction to Tracing your Greek Ancestry on Legacy Family Tree Webinars.
- Greece’s Top 5 Types of Genealogy Records on Legacy Family Tree Webinars.
- MyHeritage Adds Three Historical Record Collections From Greece on the MyHeritage blog, May 18, 2020.