Greece is a land steeped in history, myths, and traditions. It is a nation shaped by ancient philosophers, formidable warriors, and iconic gods and goddesses. Greeks are known for their passion, creativity, resilience, and hospitality, and our list of the most popular Greek last names is brimming with the history of a nation that founded many Western concepts of science and philosophy.
What are Greek Last Names?
Greek last names hail from the Greek culture that spans thousands of years. Common themes in Greek last names include religion, occupations, and geographic locations. Greek surnames are often associated with statesmen and philosophers and give the impression that the holder of such surnames has a connection or similarities to history’s greatest thinkers. These last names are unique because of their long histories and references to ancient patronymics, locations, and occupations.
Greek surnames evolved over time and did not have the same structure or significance in ancient Greece as in modern times. The use of surnames as a family-based identification passed from generation to generation became more common during the Byzantine period, especially under the influence of the Christian church. Over time, the Byzantine naming conventions, which often included the father’s name and sometimes the place of origin or occupation, evolved into fixed family names. This transformation was a gradual process that solidified in the late medieval and early modern periods. The most common Greek surname, Papadopoulos, which means ‘son of a priest,’ attests to the importance of religion in Greek culture. As Greeks have migrated around the world, so have their surnames. For example, common Greek American last names include Pappas and Dimas, and unique Greek American last names include Stavropoulos and Polyzou. We have gathered a comprehensive list of Greek last names and their meanings for researchers studying this fascinating culture.
Top 100 Greek Last Names
Greek last names frequently derive from patronymics, locations, or occupations. Many of them end in “-poulos,” signifying “son of” or “-opoulos” indicating a familial or geographic connection. Our list of the most common Greek last names and their meanings reveals the fascinating surnames of this beautiful country.
- Papadopoulos – Son of a Priest
- Papadopoulou – Daughter of a Priest
- Papageorgiou – Son of Priest George
- Oikonomou – Housekeeper or Steward
- Papadimitriou – Son of Priest Dimitrios
- Georgiou – Son of George
- Papaioannou – Son of Priest John
- Pappas – Priest
- Papadakis – Little Son of a Priest
- Nikolopoulos – Son of Nicholas
- Ioannou – Son of John
- Demetriou – Son of Demetrius, Dimitrios
- Vasilopoulos – Son of Basil
- Antonopoulos – Son of Anthony, Antonios
- Christopoulos – Son of Christos
- Athanasiou – Son of Athanasios
- Vasileiou – Son of Vasilis
- Nikolaou – Son of Nicholas
- Karagiannis – Black John
- Vlachos – From Vlach Region or Shepherd
- Antoniou – Son of Antonios
- Makris – Long or Tall
- Papanikolaou – Son of Priest Nicholas
- Dimitriou – Son of Dimitrios
- Ioannidis – Son of Ioannis
- Georgiadis – Son of Georgios
- Triantafyllou – Rose Tree or Thirty Leaves
- Konstantinidis – Son of Konstantinos
- Alexiou – Son of Alexis
- Christodoulou – Servant of Christ
- Theodorou – Son of Theodoros
- Giannopoulos – Son of Yiannis
- Nikolaidis – Son of Nikolaos
- Konstantinou – Son of Konstantinos
- Michailidis – Son of Michail
- Panagiotopoulos – Son of Panagiotis
- Papakonstantinou – Son of Priest Konstantinos
- Papathanasiou – Son of Priest Athanasios
- Dimopoulos – Related to Dimitrios
- Karagianni – Black Yianna
- Anastasiou – Son of Anastasios
- Dimitriadis – Son of Dimitrios
- Pappa – Priestess or Daughter of a Priest
- Vlachou – From Vlach Region or Shepherdess
- Vasileiadis – Son of Vasilis
- Giannakopoulos – Son of Little Yiannis
- Angelopoulos – Son of Angelos
- Dimou – Related to Dimitra or Dimitrios
- Ioannidou – Daughter of Ioannis
- Mylonas – Miller
- Stergiou – Son of Stergios
- Apostolou – Son of Apostolos
- Petropoulos – Son of Petros
- Lamprou – Bright or Shiny
- Papadaki – Little Priest
- Christou – Of Christ
- Panagiotou – Of Panagiotis, All-Holy
- Anagnostou – Of Anagnostis, Reader
- Makri – Long or Tall
- Konstantinidou – Daughter of Konstantinos, Constant or Steadfast
- Samaras – Saddle Maker
- Athanasopoulos – Son of Athanasios, Immortal
- Alexopoulos – Son of Alexis, Defender
- Stavropoulos – Son of Stavros, Cross
- Anagnostopoulos – Son of Anagnostis, Reader
- Markou – Of Markos, derived from Mark
- Georgiadou – Daughter of Georgios, Farmer or Earthworker
- Raptis – Tailor
- Spanos – Rare or Scarce
- Sidiropoulos – Son of Sideris, Iron
- Antoniadis – Son of Antonios, derived from Antony
- Panagopoulos – Son of Panagis, short for Panagiotis, All-Holy
- Efthymiou – Of Efthymios, Cheerful or Good mood
- Spyropoulos – Son of Spyros, short for Spyridon, Spirit
- Theodoropoulos – Son of Theodoros, Gift of God
- Pavlidis – Son of Pavlos, Paul
- Apostolopoulos – Son of Apostolos, Apostle or Messenger
- Petrou – Of Petros, Peter
- Michalopoulos – Son of Michalis, Michael
- Arvanitis – From Arvanitika-speaking regions, Albanian
- Lazaridis – Son of Lazaros, Lazarus
- Kontos – Short
- Georgopoulos – Son of Georgios, Farmer or Earthworker
- Athanasiadis – Son of Athanasios, Immortal
- Panagiotidis – Son of Panagiotis, All-Holy
- Theodoridis – Son of Theodoros, Gift of God
- Chatzis – Priest
- Anastasiadis – Son of Anastasios, Resurrection
- Papavasileiou – Priest Vasilios, King or Basil
- Papazoglou – Priest’s Son
- Iliopoulos – Son of Ilias, Elijah
- Kostopoulos – Son of Konstantinos, Constant or Steadfast
- Politis – Citizen or City Dweller
- Galanis – Azure or Pale-skinned
- Stavrou – Of Stavros, Cross
- Apostolidis – Son of Apostolos, Apostle or Messenger
- Paraskevopoulos – Son of Paraskevas, related to Preparation or Friday
- Giannopoulou – Daughter of Giannis, John
- Diamantis – Diamond
- Pantazis – Always Alive
Unique Greek Last Names
Unique Greek last names may carry specific regional or historical significance. Some are remnants of ancient traditions, mythological references, or familial tales. You’ll stand out of the crowd in any century with these Greek last names.
- Anastasakis – Resurrection
- Andreou – Son of Andreas
- Angelopoulou – Daughter of Angelos
- Bouras – North Wind
- Charalampidis – Son of Charalambos, meaning Shining with Joy
- Chatzi – Half or Short for someone of mixed descent
- Christoforou – Bearer of Christ
- Constantinou – Son of Konstantinos
- Diamantopoulos – Son of Diamantis, meaning Diamond
- Dimas – Short form of Dimitrios
- Dimitropoulos – Son of Dimitrios
- Dimopoulou – Daughter of Dimitrios
- Efstathiou – Son of Efstathios, meaning Stable, Steadfast
- Evangelou – Son of Evangelos, meaning Bringer of Good News
- Fotiadis – Son of Fotios, meaning Light
- Fotopoulos – Son of Fotios
- Gavriilidis – Son of Gavriil, meaning God is my Strength
- Georgakopoulos – Son of little George
- Giannakopoulou – Daughter of little Ioannis
- Gounaris – From Gounar, meaning Leather Worker
- Grigoriadis – Son of Grigorios, meaning Vigilant, Watchful
- Iliadis – Son of Elias, Ilias. Or from Iliadis
- Kanellopoulos – Son of little Kanellos
- Katopodis – From Kato Podi, meaning Lower Foot
- Katsaros – Curly-haired
- Katsoulis – Little cat
- Kokkinos – Red-haired or ruddy
- Kollias – Related to Nicholas, victory of the people
- Kostas – Short form of Konstantinos
- Kyriakidis – Son of Kyriakos, meaning Of the Lord
- Kyriakou – Of Kyriakos
- Lampropoulos – Son of Lampros, meaning Bright, Shining
- Loukas – From name Loukas, meaning From Lucania
- Manolopoulos – Son of Manolis, a version of Emmanuel
- Manos – Short form of Emmanuel, meaning God is with us
- Margaritis – Pearl
- Mavridis – Son of Mavros, meaning Black
- Mavromatis – Black-eyed
- Metaxas – Silk merchant
- Michailidou – Daughter of Michail
- Moraitis – From Moria, a region in Greece
- Moustakas – Mustached
- Mylona – Miller
- Nikolaidou – Daughter of Nikolaos
- Nikolopoulou – Daughter of Nikolaos
- Panagiotopoulou – Daughter of Panagiotis, meaning All Holy
- Papas – Priest
- Petridis – Son of Petros, meaning Rock or Stone
- Polychronopoulos – Son of Polychronios, meaning Long-lived
- Polyzou – Many lives
- Rallis – Captain or Admiral
- Rigas – Flowing Stream
- Rizos – Curly-haired
- Roussos – Red-haired or Russian
- Samara – Guardian or Protector
- Sarris – Saracen or Arabian
- Savvidis – Son of Savvas
- Sideris – Iron
- Sotiriou – Son of Sotirios, meaning Savior
- Sotiropoulos – Son of Sotirios
- Spyridakis – Son of Spyridon
- Stamatopoulos – Son of Stamatios, related to stop
- Stathopoulos – Son of Stathis, related to standing firm
- Stefanidis – Son of Stefanos, meaning Crown
- Stefanou – Of Stefanos
- Stephanopoulos – Son of Stephanos
- Tsakalos – Small bucket or pail
- Tsakiris – Shoemaker
- Tsatsos – Chatterer or Squeaker
- Vasilakis – Little King
- Vasileiadou – Daughter of Vasilios, meaning Kingly
- Vlachopoulos – Son of Vlachos, meaning Shepherd or Romanian
- Voulgaris – Bulgarian
- Vrettos – Ancient or Old
- Zachariadis – Son of Zacharias, meaning God Remembers
- Zervas – Left-handed or skilled
Cute Ancient Greek Last Names
Cute Greek last names evoke imagery from nature, such as flowers or landscapes, imparting a gentle and charming essence. Their phonetic allure endear them to many, both within and outside the Greek community.
- Alexakis – Son of Alexis
- Angelaki – Little Angel
- Angeli – Angel
- Angelidis – Son of Angelos
- Angelis – Of Angelos
- Angelou – Of Angelos
- Boura – North Wind
- Dedes – Son of Theodoros
- Dima – Short form of Dimitra
- Dimakis – Son of Dimitrios, diminutive form
- Dimos – Short form of Dimitrios
- Douka – Lady or Noblewoman
- Drosos – Dew
- Floros – Related to Flora, meaning Flower
- Florou – Of Flora
- Fotiou – Of Fotios, meaning Light
- Galani – Calm, Serene, related to galene
- Giannis – Ioannis, meaning God is Gracious
- Giotis – Variant of Giannis, God is Gracious
- Kanellos – Cinnamon
- Kapsali – Small Box or Capsule
- Karali – Queen or Important Woman
- Karra – Tile or Brick
- Katsouli – Small Cat
- Kefalas – Head or Leader
- Kokkalis – Bone
- Kokkinou – Of Kokkinos, meaning Red
- Kontou – Short or of short stature
- Kosmas – Universe or Order
- Kosmidou – Daughter of Kosmas
- Kotoulas – Small Cup
- Kotsis – Stone, Pebble
- Koukos – Cuckoo Bird
- Koulouris – A type of bread or ring-shaped biscuit
- Lagos – Hare
- Lazarou – Of Lazaros, related to Eleazar meaning God has helped
- Lazos – Short form of Eleazaros
- Lekka – Slick, Smooth
- Liakos – Related to lia, meaning shiny stone
- Liapi – Bright Sun
- Liapis – Son of Liapi
- Liolios – Glossy, Shiny
- Louka – From the name Loukas, meaning From Lucania
- Margariti – Pearl
- Michou – Of Michalis, meaning Who is like God?
- Milios – Miler
- Moschou – Calf or from moschos meaning scent, fragrance
- Nakou – Related to nakos, meaning weaver’s reed
- Nanos – Dwarf
- Nika – Victory
- Nikas – Victory
- Nikou – Of Nikolaos
- Panou – Of Panos, a diminutive of Panagiotis
- Pantelis – Always or Everlasting
- Peppas – Diminutive form of Petros
- Petraki – Little Peter or Rock
- Poulios – Bird
- Psarra – Old Woman
- Riga – Flowing Stream
- Rizou – Of Rizos, meaning Curly-haired
- Sarri – Saracen or Arabian
- Simou – Of Simon, meaning He has heard
- Stamati – Related to Stamatis, meaning Stop
- Thoma – From the name Thomas, meaning Twin
- Tsakiri – Daughter of Tsakiris, Shoemaker
- Tselios – Small Chalice
- Tsolaki – Small Tsolias, which refers to a traditional Greek uniform
- Zerva – Left-handed or skilled
- Zioga – Life
- Zisi – Lifetime
Cool Ancient Greek Last Names
We’ve curated a list of the coolest ancient Greek last names. Their phonetic structure can be bold and commanding, captivating the listener’s attention. Read on to find some cool ancient Greek last names history has preserved.
- Akritidis – From akritas, frontier guards during Byzantine times
- Alexaki – Little Alex or Defender
- Chronis – Time
- Delis – Brave or Mad, Crazy
- Dionysopoulos – Son of Dionysios
- Doukas – Duke or Leader
- Drakos – Dragon
- Emmanouil – With us is God
- Exarchos – Leader or Chief
- Fotis – Light
- Fragkos – Frankish, referring to a Western European
- Fragkou – Of Frank, Western European
- Galanakis – From galanos meaning azure or blue-eyed
- Gavriil – Gabriel, God is my strength
- Gkikas – Short or Small man
- Gkinis – Derived from gkini, meaning swimsuit
- Gkogkos – Small bell or bud
- Gkoumas – Helmet or Hood
- Iakovidis – Son of Jacob or James
- Ioakeimidis – Son of Joachim
- Karachalios – Black Stone or Chalk
- Karageorgiou – George’s Black or Black George
- Karalis – King or Royalty
- Karras – Black, dark
- Kazakos – Cossack
- Komninos – Noble, notable family from Byzantine era
- Kritikos – From Crete
- Lekkas – Smooth or Polished
- Leventis – Brave, referring to a young soldier
- Logothetis – Secretary or Clerk
- Manolis – Derived from Emmanouil, With us is God
- Mavros – Black
- Metaxa – Silk
- Moschos – Calf or Perfume
- Nakos – Reed or Small boat
- Orfanos – Orphan
- Panos – Short for Panagiotis, All Holy
- Parisis – From Paris
- Poulos – Son of
- Roussou – Red-haired or from Russia
- Sakkas – Sack or Bag maker
- Sfakianakis – From Sfakia, a region in Crete
- Sigalas – Whistle or Small flute
- Simos – Snub-nosed
- Skouras – Bald
- Sotiriadis – Son of Sotirios, Savior
- Spyrou – Of Spyros, derived from Spiridon, Basket
- Stratakis – Little General
- Terzis – Lute player
- Thanos – Immortal
- Theodorakis – Son of Theodoros, Gift of God
- Thomaidis – Son of Thomas, Twin
- Tsagkaraki – Little Shoemaker
- Tsarouchas – Shoemaker
- Tsironis – Steel or Strong
- Tsolakis – Little Tsolias, traditional Greek uniform
- Tsoukalas – Chewer or Grinder
- Tzavaras – Man with Curly Hair
- Tzikas – Curly-haired
- Tzimas – Winter
- Tzortzis – George
- Vergos – Young Man or Servant
- Vogiatzis – Bullock Driver or Herdsman
- Voudouris – Bull
- Xenakis – Little Stranger
- Xenos – Stranger
- Xenou – Of Xenia, Hospitality
- Yfantis – Archer
- Zachos – Pure or Innocent
- Zervos – Left-handed or Dexterous
- Zikos – Live or Lively
- Ziogas – Lifetime
Pretty Ancient Greek Last Names
Ancient Greek writing and poetry were read and analyzed thousands of years after the fall of ancient Greece. The last names embody beauty that has truly withstood the test of time.
- Adamidou – Daughter of Adam
- Adamopoulou – Daughter of Adam
- Alexopoulou – Daughter of Alex or Defender
- Anastasiadou – Daughter of Anastasios, Resurrection
- Andreadis – Son of Andreas
- Angelakis – Little Angel or Messenger
- Angelidou – Daughter of an Angel or Messenger
- Asimakopoulou – Daughter of Asimakis
- Avramidou – Daughter of Avramis or Abraham
- Chalaris – Mild, Gentle
- Chalkia – Made of bronze
- Charalampidou – Daughter of Charalambos, Shining with joy
- Charitos – Grace or Favor
- Christoforidou – Daughter of Christoforos, Bearer of Christ
- Diamanti – Diamond
- Efthymiadou – Daughter of Efthymios, Good mood or Cheerful
- Eleftheriadis – Son of Eleftherios, Free
- Eleftheriadou – Daughter of Eleftherios, Free
- Emmanouilidou – Daughter of Emmanouil, With us is God
- Fotiadou – Daughter of Fotios, Light
- Fotopoulou – Daughter of Fotis, Light
- Fragkouli – Little Frank, referring to Western European
- Gavala – Mare
- Georgopoulou – Daughter of Georgios, Farmer or Earth worker
- Giannouli – Little Giannis or John
- Iordanidou – Daughter of Iordanis or Jordan
- Iosifidou – Daughter of Iosif or Joseph
- Kalantzi – Probably from kalantzis, referring to a shoemaker
- Kaloudis – Good
- Kalyvas – Hut or Small house
- Kampouri – Small field or Camp
- Karagiannidou – Daughter of Karagiannis, Black John
- Kolovou – From kolos, meaning Maimed
- Koulouri – Round bread or Bracelet
- Kyriakidou – Daughter of Kyriakos, Belonging to the Lord
- Kyriakopoulou – Daughter of Kyriakos, Belonging to the Lord
- Kyritsi – Lady or Mistress
- Lampropoulou – Daughter of Lampros, Bright or Shining
- Liakou – From lios, meaning Sun
- Lianos – Lean or Thin
- Marinou – From marinos, meaning Of the sea
- Mathioudaki – Little Mathios or Matthew
- Mavropoulou – Daughter of Mavros, Black
- Moraiti – From Morea, a historical name for Peloponnese
- Palaiologos – Old or Ancient Word, notable Byzantine dynasty
- Palaiologou – Female variant of Palaiologos
- Panteli – Short for Pantelis or Pantelios, All Holy
- Pantelidou – Daughter of Pantelis or Pantelios, All Holy
- Papagianni – Priest’s John
- Papapanagiotou – Priest’s Panagiotis, All Holy
- Paraskeva – Preparation or Friday
- Petridou – Daughter of Petros, Stone or Rock
- Polyzos – Many lives
- Savvidou – Daughter of Savvas
- Sfakianaki – From Sfakia, a region in Crete
- Sigala – Whistle or Small flute
- Spiliopoulou – Daughter of Spilios, Cave
- Stamatopoulou – Daughter of Stamatis, Stop or Stand
- Stavridou – Daughter of Stavros, Cross
- Stavropoulou – Daughter of Stavros, Cross
- Theodoridou – Daughter of Theodoros, Gift of God
- Theodosiou – Belonging to Theodosios, Gift of God
- Tsoukala – Little Tsouka, a kind of pouch or bag
- Vasilaki – Little Vasilis or Basil, Royal
- Vogiatzi – Female variant of Vogiatzis, Bullock Driver or Herdsman
- Xanthopoulou – Daughter of Xanthos, Blond or Fair-haired
- Zacharopoulou – Daughter of Zacharias, God has remembered
Rare Ancient Greek Last Names
Many rare Greek last names have niche origins, tracing specific locales or lesser-known regions. Many of these surnames originate from ancient dialects, isolated islands, or unique familial occupations.
- Arampatzis – From the Turkish arampač meaning troublemaker
- Argyriou – Son, Daughter of Argyris, Silver
- Argyros – Silver
- Charalampopoulos – Son of Charalambos, Shining with joy
- Charisis – Grace or Favor
- Chatzidakis – Son of Chatzidakis, Priest Isaac
- Chatzidimitriou – Son of Chatzidimitrios, Priest Dimitrios
- Chatzivasileiou – Son of Chatzivasileios, Priest Vasilios
- Christodoulakis – Little Christodoulos, Servant of Christ
- Christoforidis – Son of Christoforos, Bearer of Christ
- Emmanouilidis – Son of Emmanouil, With us is God
- Fragkoulis – Little Frank, referring to Western European
- Galanopoulos – Son of Galanos, Pale-skinned or Azure
- Gavalas – Small horse or Colt
- Gogos – Proud or Pompous
- Grigoropoulos – Son of Grigorios, Vigilant or Watchful
- Iosifidis – Son of Iosif, Joseph
- Kampouris – From kampoura, meaning hunchback
- Karagkounis – Black fur
- Karakatsanis – From the Karakachans, a nomadic shepherd people
- Karatzas – From karatza, meaning nail or spike
- Karavasilis – Black Vasilis, Black King or Basil
- Kechagia – From kechagi, meaning shepherdess
- Kechagias – Shepherd
- Kolokythas – Squash or Pumpkin
- Kosmidis – From kosmos, meaning world or universe
- Kostoulas – Little Konstantinos, Constant or Steadfast
- Kypraios – Cypriot or From Cyprus
- Lamprakis – Little Lampros, Bright or Shining
- Lymperopoulos – Son of Lymperis, shine or flash
- Lymperopoulou – Daughter of Lymperis, shine or flash
- Maniati – From Mani, a region in Peloponnese
- Manousaki – Little Manousos
- Mavridou – Daughter of Mavros, Black
- Mavropoulos – Son of Mavros, Black
- Moysidis – Son of Moysis, Moses
- Nikolakopoulos – Son of Nikolakos, a diminutive of Nikolaos
- Oikonomopoulos – Son of Oikonomos, Housekeeper or Steward
- Oikonomopoulou – Daughter of Oikonomos, Housekeeper or Steward
- Orfanou – Daughter of Orfanos, Orphan
- Papaefthymiou – Priest Efthymios, Cheerful or Good mood
- Papaspyrou – Priest Spyros
- Paraskevas – Preparation or related to Friday
- Raftopoulos – Of the tailor
- Rapti – Seam or Stitch
- Rigopoulos – Son of Rigas, Ruler or Prince
- Roumeliotis – From Roumeli, a region in central Greece
- Sideri – Iron
- Sidiropoulou – Daughter of Sideris, Iron
- Syrigos – From syriga, meaning tube or pipe
- Theochari – Grace of God
- Theodorakopoulos – Son of Theodorakis, diminutive of Theodoros
- Triantafyllidis – Son of Triantafyllos, Rose
- Tsagkarakis – From tsagkaros, meaning cobbler or shoemaker
- Tsiaras – From tsiara, meaning tiara or crown
- Tzima – Rein or Bridle
- Zacharaki – Little Zacharias, God has remembered
- Zacharakis – From Zacharias, God has remembered
- Zacharopoulos – Son of Zacharias, God has remembered
- Zafeiropoulos – Son of Zafeiris, variant of Sideris, Iron
Uncommon Ancient Greek Last Names
Uncommon Greek last names diverge from the typical nomenclature patterns seen in mainstream Greek culture. These surnames have origins in particular historical narratives, specific regional dialects, or a blend of cultural influences.
- Alexandri – Daughter of Alexandros, Defender of the People
- Alexandrou – Of Alexandros, Defender of the People
- Amanatidis – Son of Amanatios
- Andriopoulos – Son of Andreas, Manly or Brave
- Androulakis – Little Andreas, Manly or Brave
- Avgerinos – Morning Star or Dawn
- Baltas – White or Pale
- Chalkiadakis – Copper or Bronze worker
- Chatzakis – Son of Chatzis, Priest
- Chatzigiannis – John the Priest
- Chatzikonstantinou – Konstantinos the Priest
- Drakopoulou – Daughter of Drakos, Dragon
- Drakou – Of Drakos, Dragon
- Fragkiadakis – Son of Fragkias, related to Frank
- Giannaki – Little Giannis, John
- Giannakou – Of Giannakos, a diminutive of Giannis, John
- Grammenos – Written or Lettered
- Iatrou – Of Iatros, Doctor
- Kalaitzi – Good or Fair
- Karaiskos – Black, shadow
- Karanikolas – Black Nicholas
- Karatza – Charcoal or Blackened
- Karypidis – Kernel or Seed
- Kavvadias – Carrier of a Sedan Chair
- Kitsos – Anointed
- Kokkinis – Red or Red-haired
- Kosma – World or Order
- Kouris – From Kouri, Girl
- Kyriakakis – Little Kyriakos, Of the Lord
- Lymperis – Bright or Shiny, derived from Lampros
- Maragkou – Of Maragkos, meaning Carpenter
- Marinakis – Son of Marinis, Sailor
- Markaki – Little Markos, Mark
- Maroulis – Derived from Marouli, Lettuce
- Mavrakis – Little Black One
- Michalakis – Little Michalis, Michael
- Mitrou – Of Mitros, Mitros or Miter, Headband
- Mitsopoulos – Son of Mitso, a diminutive of Dimitrios
- Nomikou – Related to Law, Lawyer
- Oikonomidou – Daughter of Oikonomos, Housekeeper or Steward
- Pagoni – Frost or Chill
- Panopoulos – Son of Panos, short for Panagiotis, All-Holy
- Papapostolou – Apostolos the Priest
- Papoutsi – Shoemaker
- Paschos – Passover or Easter
- Psomas – Bread
- Savvas – Old Man
- Souliotis – From Souli, a region in Greece
- Stamouli – From Stamos, Stand or Stop
- Stavroulakis – Little Stavros, Cross
- Stefanakis – Little Stefanos, Crown
- Tsakiridis – Son of Tsakiris
- Tsekoura – Hatchet or Axe
- Tsolakidis – Son of Tsolakas
- Vafeiadis – Dyer or Tinted
- Vagenas – Young Bull
- Zacharioudakis – Son of Zacharias, Remembered by God
- Zervou – Daughter of Zervas
See more Ancient Greek Last Names
More Lists:
Famous People with Greek Last Names
Aristotle Onassis was born in Turkey in 1906. He was a shipping magnate who was extremely wealthy and famous and is often remembered for his marriage to Jackie Kennedy, the widow of US President John F. Kennedy. There has yet to be an official translation for his rare Greek last name.
Nikos Kazantzakis was born in Greece in 1883. He was an extensive writer and is considered a giant of modern Greek literature. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize nine times. Kazantzakis is of Turkish origin with cultural ties to Crete and means ‘cauldron tinker.’
Mikis Theodorakis was born in Greece in 1925. As a composer and lyricist, his work cemented his legacy as one of Greece’s greatest composers. He ran for office and was elected Minister of State in 1990. His Greek last name means ‘God’s gift’.
Stefanos Tsitsipas was born in Greece in 1998. He is among the world’s best tennis players and has played on the Association of Tennis Players tour for several years. His Greek last name is rare and is used by less than 200 people, and its meaning is unknown.
Nikos Vertis was born in the Netherlands in 1976 under the name Nikolaos Arvanitidis. His music is a mixture of pop and modern laïkó, a Greek folk music style. This Greek surname means ‘just’ or turn.’
References
Information from Wikipedia on Greek last names was used in the collection of this data.
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