Greek surnames are those surnames that can be found in indigenous communities in Greece, Cyprus and South Albania and certain parts of Turkey, Russia and Ukraine and other small communities that are a remnant of the Hellenistic and Byzantine periods, as well as in the modern Greek diaspora (known as Omogenia), especially in the United Kingdom, the USA, Canada, Germany, Australia and Chile. Greek surnames are usually recognizable upon hearing or reading them, as they have a similar sound and/or structure that is very specific to Greek surnames; however, the similarity of Greek surnames with surnames in other European languages is limited, as they have different rules and conventions that are not present in other European surnames.[1]
History of Greek surnames
Greek surnames are a relatively recent development in the country's history. Unlike many cultures, which have used surnames for centuries, Ancient Greeks only had one name. It wasn't until the 11th century that elite Byzantine families started using hereditary family names,[2] and it wasn't until the 19th century that non-elites began to systematically use surnames that would last for generations. Even in the 20th century, surname changes and variations were common, a fact that is important to keep into account when researching genealogy from the 19th century.
Greek surnames conventions
In Greece and Cyprus, people are given a first name, followed by a patronymic name and family name;[2][3] however, the use of a patronymic as part of a personal name in day-to-day usage has steadily fallen into disuse; however, when used, it appears between a person's first name and surname. Until 1983, upon marriage women in Greece were obliged to officially drop their maiden name and adopt that of their husbands’; this practice -though not obligatory anymore- has not totally vanished yet. [2]
Also, Greek surnames can have multiple variations with the use of suffixes and prefixes added to the end or the beginning of a name, respectively. Suffixes indicate descent much like English surnames such as Johnson, Jackson, Robertson do. However, suffixes of Greek surnames are categorized by locality. For instance, the -akis (-άκης) suffix is more common in Crete, -akos (-άκος) in Mani, -atos (-άτος) in Kefalonia and -poulos (-πουλος) in the Peloponnese. That being said, the son of a saddler (σαμαράς) could be called Samaropoulos in Arcadia, Samarakos in Mani and Samarakis in Crete. Prefixes are added to the beginning of a word and usually indicate a trait, such as Papa- (Παπα-) for "priest". Hence, Papageorgiou (Παπαγεωργίου) means “child of Fr. Georgios.” It is a patronymic surname with the addition of the Papa- prefix. Accordingly, Chatzi- (Χατζη-) is a prefix deriving from the Arabic word Hajj, denoting an individual who has visited the Holy Lands. Chatzipanagiotou is an example of a patronymic surname with the Chatzi- prefix.
Greek surnames of patronymic origin
Patronymic and matronymic surnames are based on the father’s or mother’s given name. Such a surname could be formed in one of two ways, either with the use of the father’s/mother’s name in the genitive case (denoted by the -ou/-s suffixes, respectively), or, rarely, with the use of the father’s name in the nominative case. In patriarchal societies, patronymic surnames were more common since men (fathers) were more visible in the public sphere. If “Georgios” was Nikos's father’s name, Nikos would be referred to as “Nikos, son of Georgios” [in Greek: (υιός) του Γεωργίου].[4] As time went on, he would eventually be known as Nikos Georgiou (Νίκος Γεωργίου).
Greek surnames of matronymic origin
Just like with surnames of patronymic origin, Maria, daughter of Georgios, would be known as Maria Georgiou (Μαρία Γεωργίου). However, in some cases, the name of one’s mother was more important. Such could be the case of an early widowed mother, the wife of a migrant, or a woman known to the public thanks to her status or personality. The child’s surname would thereby be constructed based on the mother’s name in the genitive case, denoted, in this case, by the -s suffix. For example, Kostas, son of Eleni, could be known as Kostas Elenis (Κώστας Ελένης). This practice was more common until the first half of the 19th century.
Greek surnames of toponymic origin
Human migration has been occurring throughout history, leading to the introduction of toponymic surnames, which reference a person's place of origin. For example, a sailor from Zakynthos who settles in Pylos may be referred to as Zakynthinos by the locals. Similarly, Patrinos indicates origin from Patras, Andriotis from Andros, etc. Many suffixes in Greek surnames are specific to a given region or even island; for example, the -akis (-άκης) suffix is more common in Crete,-akos (-άκος) in Mani, -atos (-άτος) in Kefalonia and -poulos (-πουλος) in the Peloponnese, -idis (-ίδης) indicates an origin in the Pontus or Asia Minor, -iadis (-ιάδης) is from Messinia or Lanonia, and -oudas (-ούδας) indicates that the bearer's ancestors are originally from Macedonia.[1]
Greek surnames of occupational origin
Occupational surnames reflect one's profession, such as "Kostas the saddler" becoming “Kostas Samaras” (σαμαράς = saddler[2]) and "Giannis the barber" being called “Giannis Koureas” (κουρέας = barber). In many cases, such surnames date back to Byzantine times and official posts, such as Doukas (Δούκας = military officer) and Logothetis (Λογοθέτης = minister).
Greek surnames of descriptive origin
Quite often Greek surnames can be derived from nicknames based on physical, intellectual, or moral traits, as well as animals, plants, or family status. Examples include Katergaris meaning "naughty," Pontikis from the word for "mouse," Karpouzis meaning "watermelon," Orfanos meaning "orphan," and Galanis meaning "pale blue"[2]
Greek surnames of Non-Hellenic origins
Greek surnames can have non-Greek linguistic or ethnic origins, reflecting contact with peoples such as Albanians, Arabs, Bulgarians, Turks, and others. For example, the surname Kampouris (Καμπούρης) derives from Turkish and implies a hunchbacked ancestor. While in this case, the linguistic origin of the surname does not necessarily correspond to a similar ethnic origin, names like Kontos (Κόντος), Ntentes (Ντεντές), and Tzimas (Τζήμας) have clear Arvanitic (ethnic Albanians who settled in southern Greece in the late 13th and early 14th century) origins and suggest such an ethnic background. Other surnames, like Dragoumis (Δραγούμης) are derived from Slavic names, in this case from the given name Dragomir. However, the use of a linguistically non-Greek prefix (e.g. “Kara-”) does not necessarily indicate non-Greek ethnic origin. Greece was part of the Ottoman Empire for around 400 years, not including the Greek native populations in Anatolia, Constantinople (today Istanbul) and Cyprus and this longtime interaction can be reflected in many surnames that denote a distant origin in Asia Minor, like Patsatzoglou, Baloglou and Tsolakoglou.[5]
Most popular Greek surnames and their origins
Papadopoulos, meaning “son of a priest” is by far the most common surname in Greece,[6] while the top 10 list includes three more surnames with the “Papa-” prefix. The “Kara-” prefix, meaning “black” in Turkish is found only once in the top 10. “Oikonomou” and “Pappas” belong to the “occupational surnames” category (“Pappas” means “priest”, and “Oikonomos” is a church title). The rest of the surnames in the top 10 (Georgiou, Vasileiou and Nikolaou) are patronymic surnames.
Celebrities with Greek surnames
- Jennifer Aniston, American actress, most famous for playing Rachel Green in the sitcom "Friends" - Her father, John Aniston, is a Greek-American actor who was born Yannis Anastasakis.
- Olympia Dukakis - American actress, recipient of a Golden Globe and an Oscar for her performance in the film "Moonstruck". Her parents were Greek immigrants.
- Zach Galifianakis - The actor and comedian's surname is of Greek origin, and his paternal grandparents were Greek immigrants.
- George Michael (born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou), British singer of Cypriot origin
- Nia Vardalos - The actress and writer is of Greek descent, and her surname means "green valley" in Greek.
- George Stephanopoulos - The journalist and political commentator's surname is of Greek origin, and his paternal grandfather was a Greek Orthodox priest.
- Telly Savalas - The late actor's surname is of Greek origin, and he was born Aristotelis Savalas.
- John Stamos - The actor's surname is of Greek origin, and he is of Greek descent.
Explore more about Greek surnames
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The Origin and Meaning of Your Greek Surname
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Complete List Of The Most Common Greek Surnames & Origins
- ↑ Greek names. Guides to International Names. University of Warwick
- ↑ Greek Culture: Naming. SBS Cultural Atlas
- ↑ Greek Ancestry Last Name. Greek Media Group
- ↑ Most Common Last Names In Greece. Forebears.com