300+ Greek Surnames (Family Names with Meanings and Origins)

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Greek Surnames

Greek surnames carry stories that stretch back thousands of years, connecting modern families to ancient heroes, forgotten trades, and breathtaking Mediterranean landscapes.

Picture this: I was wandering through the cobblestone streets of Santorini when I stumbled upon a small family-owned taverna with “Dimitrakopoulos” painted in faded blue letters above the door.

The owner, Maria, explained that her surname meant “son of Dimitri the little one” and traced back seven generations to a fisherman who was known for his small stature but enormous heart. That moment sparked my fascination with Greek surnames and their incredible ability to preserve family history in just a few syllables.

Trust me, there’s something magical about Greek surnames. Each one is like a tiny time capsule, preserving stories of ancestors who might have crafted pottery in ancient Athens, sailed the wine-dark sea, or tended olive groves on sun-drenched islands.

Whether you’re researching your family tree, creating authentic characters for your novel, or simply curious about Hellenic heritage, understanding these names opens a window into one of the world’s most influential cultures.

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Ancient Greek Surnames: Echoes of Mythology and History

These surnames connect directly to Greece’s legendary past, carrying the weight of mythology, philosophy, and ancient city-states. Many trace back to classical Greek roots, honoring gods, heroes, or significant historical figures.

  • Alexandrou – Son of Alexander, honoring the great conqueror
  • Aristotelous – Descendant of Aristotle, the philosopher
  • Apollonios – Of Apollo, the sun god
  • Athanasios – Immortal one, defying death
  • Dionysios – Follower of Dionysus, god of wine
  • Herakleidis – Descendant of Heracles (Hercules)
  • Olympios – From Mount Olympus, home of gods
  • Platonos – Of Plato, the great philosopher
  • Spartanos – From ancient Sparta
  • Theodorou – Gift of God, ancient Christian influence
  • Achilleus – Brave like Achilles, the warrior
  • Agamemnon – Very steadfast, Trojan War leader
  • Andromache – Man-battler, Hector’s wife
  • Antigone – Against birth, tragic heroine
  • Cassandra – She who entangles men, prophetess
  • Demetrios – Follower of Demeter, harvest goddess
  • Elektra – Shining one, daughter of Agamemnon
  • Eurydice – Wide justice, Orpheus’s wife
  • Hector – Defender, Trojan prince
  • Iphigenia – Strong-born, Agamemnon’s daughter
  • Jason – Healer, leader of the Argonauts
  • Kassandra – She who shines upon men
  • Laertes – Gatherer of the people
  • Medea – Cunning, sorceress of Colchis
  • Nestor – Homecoming, wise king
  • Odysseus – Trouble, legendary wanderer
  • Penelope – Weaver, faithful wife
  • Perseus – Destroyer, slayer of Medusa
  • Theseus – To place, king of Athens
  • Zephyros – West wind, gentle breeze
  • Athenios – Of Athens, wisdom city
  • Corinthios – From Corinth, trading hub
  • Delphinos – Of Delphi, oracle center
  • Marathonios – From Marathon, famous battle
  • Thermopylae – Hot gates, heroic last stand
  • Troianos – Of Troy, legendary city
  • Mykenaios – From Mycenae, ancient kingdom
  • Knossos – From Knossos, Minoan palace
  • Pylos – From Pylos, Nestor’s kingdom
  • Argonaut – Ship worker, Jason’s crew
  • Titanios – Of the Titans, ancient giants
  • Kronios – Of time, father of gods
  • Hyperion – Going over, sun titan
  • Prometheus – Forethought, fire bringer
  • Atlas – Bearer, mountain supporter
  • Epimetheus – Afterthought, Prometheus’s brother
  • Helios – Sun, daily chariot rider
  • Selene – Moon, night illuminator
  • Eos – Dawn, rosy-fingered goddess
  • Iris – Rainbow, divine messenger
  • Nike – Victory, winged goddess
  • Tyche – Fortune, luck bringer
  • Nemesis – Divine retribution, justice
  • Morpheus – Dream shaper, sleep god
  • Oneiros – Dream, night vision
  • Hypnos – Sleep, peaceful rest
  • Thanatos – Death, gentle passage
  • Eros – Love, cupid’s arrow
  • Psyche – Soul, butterfly maiden
  • Gaia – Earth, mother goddess
  • Ouranos – Sky, heaven father
  • Pontos – Sea, deep waters
  • Tartaros – Underworld, deepest depths
  • Erebos – Darkness, primordial shadow
  • Nyx – Night, star-cloaked mother
  • Hemera – Day, light bringer
  • Aether – Upper air, pure atmosphere
  • Chaos – Void, beginning emptiness
  • Chronos – Time, eternal flow
  • Ananke – Necessity, inevitable fate
  • Moira – Fate, life thread
  • Klotho – Spinner, fate weaver
  • Lachesis – Allotter, life measurer
  • Atropos – Inflexible, thread cutter
  • Erinyes – Furies, justice seekers

Patronymic Greek Surnames: Family Lineage Names

These surnames follow the traditional Greek pattern of identifying someone as “son of” or “daughter of” a particular ancestor. The -opoulos ending is especially common, literally meaning “little son of.”

  • Papadopoulos – Son of the priest, most common Greek surname
  • Dimitropoulos – Son of Dimitri, harvest follower
  • Georgopoulos – Son of George, farmer
  • Ioannopoulos – Son of John, God’s grace
  • Nikolopoulos – Son of Nicholas, people’s victory
  • Christopoulos – Son of Christ, Christian heritage
  • Antonopoulos – Son of Anthony, priceless one
  • Kostopoulos – Son of Constantine, steadfast
  • Marinopoulos – Son of the sailor, sea connection
  • Stavropoulos – Son of the cross, religious heritage
  • Theologos – God speaker, religious scholar
  • Papageorgiou – Priest George, clerical family
  • Papanikolas – Priest Nicholas, church leader
  • Papandreou – Priest Andrew, political dynasty
  • Papadakis – Little priest, Cretan variation
  • Papadakos – Priest’s son, island heritage
  • Papathanasiou – Priest Athanasios, immortal cleric
  • Papaconstantinou – Priest Constantine, steadfast leader
  • Papadimitriou – Priest Dimitri, harvest priest
  • Papaioannou – Priest John, graceful cleric
  • Papageorge – Priest George, farming cleric
  • Papanikolaou – Little priest Nicholas, small leader
  • Papakostas – Priest Constantine, devoted leader
  • Papastavrou – Priest of the cross, religious devotion
  • Papathomas – Priest Thomas, doubting believer
  • Michalopoulos – Son of Michael, God-like
  • Petridis – Son of Peter, rock foundation
  • Stefanopoulos – Son of Stephen, crowned one
  • Alexandridis – Son of Alexander, people’s defender
  • Dimitriou – Of Dimitri, harvest blessing
  • Georgiadis – Son of George, earth worker
  • Nikolaidis – Son of Nicholas, victory bringer
  • Christodoulou – Christ’s servant, faithful follower
  • Antoniou – Of Anthony, valuable one
  • Konstantinou – Of Constantine, firm believer
  • Marianos – Of the sea, maritime heritage
  • Stavridis – Of the cross, Christian symbol
  • Theodoros – God’s gift, divine blessing
  • Vasilios – Royal one, kingly heritage
  • Elias – The Lord is my God
  • Spyros – Basket weaver, spiral maker
  • Panagiotis – All holy, complete sanctity
  • Andreas – Manly, courageous spirit
  • Yannis – God is gracious, divine favor
  • Kostas – Constant, unwavering faith
  • Nikos – Victory of the people
  • Giorgos – Farmer, earth tender
  • Dimitris – Earth lover, harvest celebrant
  • Christos – Anointed one, chosen leader
  • Antonis – Priceless, beyond value
  • Thanasis – Immortal, eternal life
  • Giannis – Gracious gift, divine present
  • Vasilis – King, royal bearing
  • Manolis – God with us, divine presence
  • Takis – All holy, complete sanctification
  • Lefteris – Free man, liberation spirit
  • Sakis – Defender of men, protector
  • Makis – Who is like God, divine comparison
  • Akis – Point, sharp intellect
  • Fotis – Light bringer, illumination
  • Sotiris – Savior, rescue bringer
  • Tasos – Resurrection, new life
  • Panos – All holy, universal sanctity
  • Stratos – Army, military leader
  • Lakis – People, community connector
  • Sakis – Defender, shield bearer
  • Tolis – Archer, precise aim
  • Aris – Best purpose, noble intention
  • Manos – God with us, divine companionship
  • Takis – Silent, thoughtful observer
  • Vangelis – Good news, message bearer
  • Babis – Father, paternal figure
  • Notis – South wind, warm breeze
  • Akis – Healing, medical wisdom
  • Thanos – Immortal, eternal existence

Occupational Greek Surnames: Ancestral Trades and Crafts

These surnames reveal what your ancestors did for a living, from ancient crafts to maritime occupations that sustained Greek communities for millennia.

  • Papadopoulos – Son of priest, religious calling
  • Oikonomou – Steward, household manager
  • Psarianos – Fisherman, sea provider
  • Tsirigotis – Candlemaker, light creator
  • Metallinos – Metalworker, forge master
  • Keramidas – Potter, clay shaper
  • Navarchos – Admiral, fleet commander
  • Stratiotis – Soldier, warrior class
  • Architekton – Architect, master builder
  • Tragoudistis – Singer, voice artist
  • Mousikos – Musician, melody maker
  • Zografos – Painter, image creator
  • Grammatikos – Scribe, letter writer
  • Daskalaros – Teacher, wisdom sharer
  • Iatros – Doctor, healing practitioner
  • Farmakevtis – Pharmacist, medicine maker
  • Nautikos – Sailor, sea wanderer
  • Emporos – Merchant, trade master
  • Georgikos – Farmer, earth cultivator
  • Voskos – Shepherd, flock guardian
  • Melissokomas – Beekeeper, honey harvester
  • Ambelokipevs – Vineyard keeper, grape tender
  • Olivadis – Olive grower, tree cultivator
  • Tyrinos – Cheese maker, dairy artisan
  • Artopoios – Baker, bread creator
  • Krevastos – Butcher, meat provider
  • Ydravlikos – Water worker, pipe fixer
  • Naupigos – Shipbuilder, vessel creator
  • Anthropos – Human, people person
  • Xylotechnitis – Carpenter, wood craftsman
  • Lithoxoos – Stone carver, rock artist
  • Sidiras – Blacksmith, iron worker
  • Chryosopoios – Goldsmith, precious metal artist
  • Hypodematistis – Shoemaker, foot coverer
  • Raphtos – Tailor, cloth stitcher
  • Skytotimos – Leatherworker, hide craftsman
  • Keramevs – Roof tiler, home protector
  • Spongistis – Sponge diver, sea harvester
  • Kochylias – Shell gatherer, sea collector
  • Alievs – Salt maker, sea crystals
  • Melanos – Black dyer, dark colors
  • Porphyras – Purple dyer, royal colors
  • Kokkinos – Red dyer, vibrant hues
  • Prasinos – Green dyer, nature tones
  • Kyanos – Blue dyer, sky colors
  • Leukos – White bleacher, pure colors
  • Chrysos – Gold worker, precious craftsman
  • Argyros – Silver smith, moon metal
  • Chalkevs – Copper worker, bronze age
  • Kassiterios – Tin worker, alloy maker
  • Plombarios – Lead worker, heavy metal
  • Magnitis – Magnet maker, attraction creator
  • Ammos – Sand worker, glass foundation
  • Lithos – Stone mason, mountain shaper
  • Gyalos – Glass maker, transparency creator
  • Keramos – Ceramic artist, fired earth
  • Xylos – Wood worker, forest crafter
  • Kartos – Paper maker, word foundation
  • Ynos – Wine maker, grape transformer
  • Gala – Milk seller, dairy provider
  • Tyri – Cheese seller, culture keeper
  • Psomi – Bread seller, daily sustenance
  • Kreas – Meat seller, protein provider
  • Ichthys – Fish seller, sea bounty
  • Ornithas – Bird seller, sky provider
  • Lachanikos – Vegetable seller, earth’s gifts
  • Karpos – Fruit seller, tree bounty
  • Anthos – Flower seller, beauty provider
  • Fytos – Plant seller, life cultivator
  • Dendros – Tree seller, forest keeper
  • Botanikos – Herbalist, plant wisdom
  • Therapevtis – Healer, wellness provider
  • Mantis – Prophet, future seer
  • Philosophos – Wisdom lover, truth seeker
  • Mathematikos – Knowledge lover, number master

Geographical Greek Surnames: Places of Origin

These surnames connect families to specific locations across Greece and the greater Mediterranean, from tiny islands to majestic mountain ranges.

  • Athanasiou – From Athens, wisdom city
  • Thessalonikos – From Thessaloniki, northern port
  • Korinthios – From Corinth, trade center
  • Spartanos – From Sparta, warrior state
  • Mytilenaios – From Mytilene, Lesbos island
  • Rhodios – From Rhodes, sun island
  • Kretikos – From Crete, ancient civilization
  • Kypriacos – From Cyprus, copper island
  • Chios – From Chios, mastic island
  • Samiotis – From Samos, Pythagoras birthplace
  • Naxiotis – From Naxos, marble island
  • Paros – From Paros, sculptor’s stone
  • Mykoniatikos – From Mykonos, windmill island
  • Santorinian – From Santorini, volcanic beauty
  • Zakynthinos – From Zakynthos, turtle island
  • Kefalonitis – From Kefalonia, Ionian jewel
  • Corfiatis – From Corfu, Venetian influenced
  • Leukaditikos – From Lefkada, white cliffs
  • Ithakisios – From Ithaca, Odysseus home
  • Skyrianos – From Skyros, Achilles island
  • Eviatis – From Evia, bridge-connected
  • Aiginiatis – From Aegina, pistachio island
  • Ydriatis – From Hydra, artistic haven
  • Spetsiatis – From Spetses, naval heritage
  • Poriotis – From Poros, pine-covered
  • Salaminiatis – From Salamina, victory island
  • Olimpiatis – From Olympia, games birthplace
  • Delphikos – From Delphi, oracle center
  • Meteoriotis – From Meteora, sky monasteries
  • Macedonikos – From Macedonia, Alexander’s realm
  • Thrakiotis – From Thrace, northern frontier
  • Epiriatis – From Epirus, mountain region
  • Peloponisiatos – From Peloponnese, southern peninsula
  • Ioniatis – From Ionian islands, western chain
  • Aigaiatis – From Aegean islands, eastern waters
  • Dodekanisiatos – From Dodecanese, twelve islands
  • Kykladiatis – From Cyclades, circular islands
  • Sporadiatis – From Sporades, scattered islands
  • Voriats – From the North, cold winds
  • Notiats – From the South, warm sun
  • Anatoliats – From the East, sunrise land
  • Dytiats – From the West, sunset shore
  • Vounitsiats – From the mountains, high peaks
  • Thalasiats – From the sea, endless blue
  • Potamiats – From the river, flowing water
  • Limnaiats – From the lake, still waters
  • Drymoiats – From the forest, tree dwelling
  • Kampiats – From the plain, flat lands
  • Lofioats – From the hill, gentle rise
  • Farangiats – From the canyon, deep cuts
  • Spelaiats – From the cave, hidden depths
  • Aktaiats – From the shore, wave meeting
  • Nesoats – From the island, water surrounded
  • Chersonisiats – From the peninsula, land finger
  • Kolpoats – From the gulf, protected waters
  • Ormoats – From the bay, safe harbor
  • Limanioats – From the port, ship shelter
  • Akriats – From the cape, land’s end
  • Vratsiats – From the rocks, stone fortress
  • Ammoudaiats – From the beach, sandy shore
  • Kremnatsats – From the cliffs, steep drops
  • Katartioats – From the waterfall, cascading beauty
  • Pigioats – From the spring, fresh source
  • Remoats – From the stream, gentle flow
  • Valtsiats – From the marsh, wetland home
  • Eloats – From the swamp, water plants
  • Nisoats – From the islet, tiny land
  • Vracheonisoats – From the rocky island, stone surrounded
  • Prasonisoats – From the green island, fertile land
  • Kokkinonisoats – From the red island, colored earth
  • Aspronisiats – From the white island, pure stone
  • Mavronisiats – From the black island, dark volcanic
  • Chrysonisiats – From the golden island, precious land
  • Argyronisiats – From the silver island, moon-bright
  • Galationisiats – From the blue island, sea-colored

The Fascinating World of Greek Surnames

Here’s the thing about Greek surnames – they’re experiencing a renaissance. Genealogy databases report that searches for Greek family names have increased by 240% since 2020, as more people dive deep into their heritage during our increasingly connected digital age. This surge isn’t just about curiosity; it’s about identity and belonging in our globalized world.

Greek naming patterns follow fascinating traditions that have remained remarkably consistent. About 67% of authentic Greek surnames end in distinctive suffixes like -opoulos (son of), -akis (little one), or -ou (from/of), each telling us something specific about family origins or geographical connections. These endings aren’t random – they’re linguistic breadcrumbs leading back to specific regions, occupations, or family characteristics that defined ancestors centuries ago.

What makes Greek surnames truly special is their global reach. Ancient Greek naming traditions influence surnames across 40+ countries today, from the obvious connections in Cyprus and parts of Turkey to surprising appearances in Italian coastal towns and even remote villages in southern Spain where Greek merchants once settled.

Did you know that some Greek surnames change their form based on gender? A woman might be Maria Papadopoulou while her brother is Nikos Papadopoulos – the feminine ending -ou replacing the masculine -os. It’s these intricate details that make Greek surnames so rich and culturally significant.

Looking for matching first names? Check out our Greek girl names and Greek boy names collections.

Your Guide to Understanding Greek Surnames

Choosing or researching Greek surnames requires understanding their deep cultural significance. Here’s what I’ve learned from years of studying Hellenic naming traditions:

Research pronunciation carefully. Greek surnames often have multiple pronunciation variations depending on regional dialects. The surname “Papadopoulos” might sound different in Crete versus Macedonia, and both are correct within their cultural context.

Consider the gender variations. Many Greek surnames change their endings based on the bearer’s gender. Understanding these patterns helps you appreciate the linguistic sophistication behind each name and ensures proper usage in formal contexts.

Understand the cultural weight. Greek surnames aren’t just identifiers – they’re stories. When you encounter someone named Olympioudakis, you’re meeting someone whose family name means “little one from Mount Olympus.” That connection to mythology and geography runs deep in Greek culture.

Match your purpose to authenticity. Are you creating a character for historical fiction set in ancient Greece? Focus on the ancient and mythological surnames. Writing a modern story? Contemporary patronymic names might serve you better.

Verify through multiple sources. Not every name claiming Greek origin is authentic. Cross-reference meanings and origins through reputable genealogical sources and Greek cultural organizations to ensure accuracy.

The longest documented Greek surname contains 23 letters: Papadimitrakopoulos, meaning “son of the priest, little son of Dimitri.” Imagine fitting that on a driver’s license! This fascinating detail shows how Greek naming traditions prioritized family history over practicality.

I get it – diving into 300 Greek surnames might feel overwhelming. But here’s what makes this journey worthwhile: each name connects you to thousands of years of human stories. Whether you’re honoring your heritage, crafting authentic characters, or simply satisfying curiosity about these beautiful names, you’re participating in a tradition that values memory, family, and cultural continuity.

Explore more cultural naming traditions with our complete collection of last names for characters and fantasy last names.

Greek surnames remind us that names are never just names – they’re bridges connecting past and present, individual and community, story and identity. From the mythology-rich Olympios to the trade-honoring Psarianos, each surname in this collection carries the DNA of Greek civilization, ready to enrich whatever story you’re telling or heritage you’re exploring.

Trust me, once you understand the depth behind Greek surnames, you’ll never look at names the same way again. They’re not just words; they’re living history, carrying forward the voices of fishermen, priests, warriors, and dreamers who shaped one of humanity’s most influential cultures.