Short Answer
Scope and source
This article presents a curated list of thirty Greek surnames that illustrate common morphological patterns in Greek family names. The surnames are chosen to represent typical suffixes that signal patronymic, occupational, or locative origin. The meanings shown are derived from the well‑documented suffixes described in the Wikipedia article on Greek surnames [1] and are not specific to individual family histories.
Greek surnames, transliteration, and meanings
| Surname (Latin) | Greek spelling | Transliteration note | Meaning (suffix) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Papadopoulos | Παπαδόπουλος | Traditional Latin transliteration; the Greek diphthong ου is rendered as “ou”. | “Son of a priest” – papas “priest” + -opoulos “son of” |
| Nikolaidis | Νικολαΐδης | Greek ι after α is transliterated as “i”; final ς becomes “s”. | “Descendant of Nikolaos” – Nikolaos + -idis “son of” |
| Christoforidis | Χριστοφορίδης | Greek ο before ρ is transliterated as “o”; final ς becomes “s”. | “Descendant of Christoforos” – Christoforos + -idis “son of” |
| Vassilopoulos | Βασιλόπουλος | Final ς becomes “s”; the diphthong ου is “ou”. | “Son of a king” – Vassilis + -opoulos “son of” |
| Alexandrakis | Αλέξανδρακί | Final ς becomes “s”; the α before κ is transliterated as “a”. | “Son of Alexander” – Alexander + -akis “son of” |
| Georgiadis | Γεωργιάδης | Greek γγ becomes “ng”; final ς becomes “s”. | “Descendant of George” – George + -adis “son of” |
| Konstantinou | Κωνσταντίνου | Final ου becomes “ou”; the ν before τ is transliterated as “n”. | “Of Constantine” – Konstantinos + -ou (genitive) |
| Mavromatis | Μαυρομάτης | Final ς becomes “s”; the Greek μ before α is transliterated as “m”. | “Black man” – mavros “black” + matos “man” |
| Karakostas | Καρακώστα | Final α becomes “a”; the Greek ώ is transliterated as “o”. | “Son of Kostas” – Kostas + -akos (variant of -akis) |
| Pappas | Παππάς | Final ς becomes “s”; the Greek double ππ is transliterated as “pp”. | “Priest” – papas (root) |
| Tsakalidis | Τσακαλίδης | Greek τσ becomes “ts”; final ς becomes “s”. | “Descendant of Tsakalos” – Tsakalos + -idis “son of” |
| Daskalakis | Δασκαλάκης | Final ς becomes “s”; the Greek α before κ is transliterated as “a”. | “Son of a teacher” – daskalos “teacher” + -akis “son of” |
| Halepidis | Χαλεπίδης | Greek χ before α is transliterated as “ch”; final ς becomes “s”. | “Descendant of Halepis” – Halepis + -idis “son of” |
| Gialamas | Γιάλαμας | Final ς becomes “s”; the Greek γγ is transliterated as “gg”. | “Greek name” – meaning not specified by common suffix; retained as a standalone root. |
| Iakovidis | Ιακωβίδης | Greek ι before α is transliterated as “i”; final ς becomes “s”. | “Descendant of Iakovos” – Iakovos + -idis “son of” |
| Vasileiadis | Βασιλειάδας | Final ς becomes “s”; the Greek α before δ is transliterated as “a”. | “Descendant of Vasileios” – Vasileios + -adis “son of” |
| Anagnostou | Αναγνώστος | Final ος becomes “os”; the Greek γνώ is transliterated as “gnw”. | “Of Anagnost” – Anagnost + -ou (genitive) |
| Papaggeorgiou | Παπαγέργιος | Final ου becomes “ou”; the Greek γγ is transliterated as “gg”. | “Son of a priest named George” – papas + George + -iou “of” |
| Georgiou | Γεώργιος | Final ος becomes “os”; the Greek εώ is transliterated as “eou”. | “Of George” – George + -iou “of” |
| Tsiolis | Τσιώλης | Final ς becomes “s”; the Greek ιώ is transliterated as “io”. | “Son of a small figure” – Tsiolis + -is “son of” |
| Filippidis | Φιλιππίδης | Final ς becomes “s”; Greek ππ is transliterated as “pp”. | “Descendant of Philippos” – Philippos + -idis “son of” |
| Lampros | Λαμπρός | Final ς becomes “s”; Greek μπ is transliterated as “mp”. | “Bright” – root lampros “bright” |
| Panagiotidis | Πανηγιοτίδης | Final ς becomes “s”; Greek γιο is transliterated as “gi”. | “Descendant of Panagiotis” – Panagiotis + -idis “son of” |
| Michailidis | Μιχαηλίδης | Final ς becomes “s”; Greek ηι is transliterated as “hii”. | “Descendant of Michail” – Michail + -idis “son of” |
| Tsitsipas | Τσιτσιπάς | Final ς becomes “s”; Greek τσ is transliterated as “ts”. | “Son of Tsitsipas” – Tsitsipas + -as “son of” |
| Koutsoukos | Κουτσούκος | Final ς becomes “s”; Greek ου is transliterated as “ou”. | “Son of Koutsos” – Koutsos + -kos “son of” |
| Vangelis | Βαγγέλης | Final ς becomes “s”; Greek γγ is transliterated as “gg”. | “Son of Vangelis” – Vangelis + -is “son of” |
| Papadakis | Παπαδάκης | Final ς becomes “s”; Greek αδ is transliterated as “ad”. | “Son of a priest” – papas + -akis “son of” |
| Angelopoulos | Αγγελόπουλος | Final ς becomes “s”; Greek γγ is transliterated as “gg”. | “Son of Angelos” – Angelos + -opoulos “son of” |
| Karamanlis | Καραμανλής | Final ς becomes “s”; Greek αμ is transliterated as “am”. | “Black ruler” – karas “black” + manolis “ruler” |
Patterns and context
Common suffixes in Greek surnames include -opoulos (son of), -idis (son of), -akis (son of or diminutive), and -ou (genitive of a personal name). These suffixes often reflect patronymic lineage or geographic origin. The suffix -opoulos is especially prevalent in the Peloponnese, while -akis is frequent in Crete and the North Aegean. The list above shows a mix of these patterns and demonstrates how transliteration preserves the original Greek orthography while adapting to Latin letters.
Dataset or selection limitations
The list is illustrative and not derived from a statistical frequency dataset. It is based on common Greek surnames that appear in public records and literature. No ranking or frequency count is provided, and the meanings are generic interpretations of suffixes rather than exact genealogical facts.
Explore the surnames and begin research
For detailed information on any surname, including historical records, geographic distribution, and variant spellings, consult specialized surname profiles or regional archives. The transliteration notes can aid in searching civil registration documents, church records, or immigration files that use Latin script.
Source and editorial status
Editorial review pending. The information is based primarily on the Wikipedia article on Greek surnames and general linguistic knowledge of Greek name formation. Specific etymologies for individual families are not verified and should be investigated through primary sources.
FAQ
How were the meanings determined?
They are derived from the common suffixes described in the Wikipedia article on Greek surnames, which explains the typical meaning of each suffix.
Are these surnames common throughout Greece?
The list is illustrative and not based on a frequency dataset; the names are examples of common Greek surnames that appear in public records and literature.
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