Learning about your Greek heritage takes you down an exciting path where history, culture, and genealogy merge to create the unique story of your family. Before exploring records in Greece, some important work needs to be done in your family’s current country of residence.
Step one – Find the original surname and village of origin
View of the Acropolis from Monastiraki Square, Athens, Greece. Photo courtesy of Carol Kostakos Petranek.
You must find:
The original Greek surname: not “Pappas” but “Papadopoulos.” Greek immigrants would shorten or alter their names to integrate more easily into their new country.
The exact village, municipality, and region (Agios Ioannis, Sparta, Laconia). When asked where they came from, Greek immigrants from small villages would often give the closest larger town; e.g., “I am from Sparta” usually meant, “I am from a village close to Sparta.”
Only after you find the original surname and exact village can you begin to search for your family in Greek records. This is because there is no central database and records are kept at the local village level. Families are recorded by the surnames they had in the village (not their Anglicized or shortened names).
To find your family’s original surname and village begin by:
Talking to older family members and asking for the name of the specific village and surnames.
Writing down facts and stories, and noting who provided the information. Verify by talking with other family members. These stories may provide clues for additional research.
Collecting family photos (make sure they are identified) and documents.
Using a genealogy database (such as MyHeritage). It enables you to keep your research organized and to add facts and information about each ancestor. You can print charts and reports to share with others. Databases come with search functions that allow you to search records for specific individuals or families.
Records that may provide surnames and village names:
Verify facts and reconcile conflicts by finding every record for your ancestor that could have been created in his/her new country. To corroborate conflicting information, you may also need to research additional family members.
Step two - Keep an open mind when it comes to spelling and places
Examining family records at the Zacharakis Family Reunion, Theologos, Lakonia, July 2019. Photo courtesy of Carol Kostakos Petranek.The spellings of names are not fixed in time. Especially during the 19th century, name spellings varied. For instance, “hard” sounds like “b”, “j”, “g” were replaced by “softer” sounds, like “v”, “ts” and “y”.
It was common for both individuals and families to use nicknames (paratsoukli) so your family may be known by more than one name. You will need to research any and all names used.[1]
In 19th and 20th century Greece, people frequently moved from a small settlement to a larger one, or from a village located up in the mountains to a village down in the valley. If you find your family surname in two villages that are close to each other, there might be a connection.
Do not assume that all families with the same surname are related, or that any surname similar to yours is simply a spelling variation. Accordingly, do not assume that families with the same surname living in neighboring settlements are necessarily related.
Step three – Search records in Greece
Church of Agia Paraskevi and Agia Anastasia on the Mani peninsula. Photo courtesy of Carol Kostakos Petranek.
The most important types of Greek records that are currently available and searchable online are:
Vital Records: Church & Civil: In Greece, the civil authorities did not keep vital records systematically until 1924. Many areas would not keep records at all, and most would not keep records carefully. That gap was filled by record-keeping of the church. In particular, the church was interested in keeping track of marriages.
Voter Lists (1840s-1930s): A voter list is a register of men eligible to vote in Greek elections. The information contained in a voter list differs depending on when it was created. Lists from the 1840s-1850s include the voter’s given name, surname, age, occupation, nativity status, property ownership, and father’s initials. Lists of the 1860s-1870s include the voter’s given name, surname, age, occupation, and father’s name. Lists from the 1880s to the 1930s include the voter’s given name, surname, age, occupation, residence, and father’s name.
Male Registers (1810s-1910s): A male register is a list of the men born in a particular municipality and is created for military purposes. It typically includes the person’s given name, surname, year of birth, place of birth, and father’s name.
Business Directories (1900s-1940s): A business directory is a list of businesses and professionals operating in a particular area. It typically includes the given name (initial) and surname of the professional/business owner, the type of business/profession, and the address.
Where to find Greek record collections (indexed and searchable) in both Greek and English
Many of the Greek records that are available and searchable online come from the General State Archives of Greece. However, although the Archives’ digital collections website is free and hosts countless records, most of its contents are in Greek only and are not name-searchable. Therefore, it is not easy to use, especially for people who are not native Greek speakers.
However, the websites for MyHeritage and Greek Ancestry offer searchable databases of Greek records in both Greek and English, as described above.
Do not let DNA distract you from your archival research. Archival research should be your priority and your primary tool, with DNA used in a complementary way to answer specific research questions.
To be able to find the common ancestor with a DNA match, both you and your match must have robust family trees. Due to rural Greek populations marrying in the same or neighboring villages, endogamy (the practice of intermarrying within a community) is common, and you may share DNA with people to whom you are not actually related. Learn the intricacies of DNA research by studying the information available at the International Society of Genetic Genealogy Wiki. MyHeritage offers DNA tests.
