In the modern world, Greeks names are the

personal names A personal name, or full name, in onomastic terminology also known as prosoponym (from Ancient Greek πρόσωπον / ''prósōpon'' - person, and ὄνομα / ''onoma'' - name), is the set of names by which an individual person is known, ...

among people of

Greek language Greek ( el, label=Modern Greek, Ελληνικά, Elliniká, ; grc, Ἑλληνική, Hellēnikḗ) is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages, native to Greece, Cyprus, southern Italy (Calabria and Salento), southern Al ...

and

culture Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these groups.Tyl ...

generally consist of a

given name A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a fa ...

and a

family name In some cultures, a surname, family name, or last name is the portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family, tribe or community. Practices vary by culture. The family name may be placed at either the start of a person's full name ...

History

Ancient Greeks generally had a single name, often qualified with a patronymic, a clan or tribe, or a place of origin. Married women were identified by the name of their husbands, not their fathers. Hereditary family names or surnames began to be used by elites in the

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

period. Well into the 9th century, they were rare. But by the 11th and 12th centuries, elite families often used family names. Family names came from placenames, nicknames, or occupations.Patrick Hanks, Richard Coates, Peter McClure, ''The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland'', 2016, , p. lii During the Ottoman period, surnames with Turkish prefixes such as "Hatzi-", "Kara-" and suffixes such as "-(i)lis", "-tzis", and "-oglou" became common, especially among

Anatolian Greeks The Anatolian Greeks, also known as Asiatic Greeks or Asia Minor Greeks, make up the ethnic Greek populations who lived in Anatolia from 1200s BCE as a result of Greek colonization until the forceful population exchange between Greece and Turkey ...

. It is not clear when stable family surnames became widely used. Though elite families often had stable family names, many of the "last names" used by Greeks into the 19th century were either patronymics or nicknames. It is also possible that family names were simply not recorded because Ottoman administrative practice preferred patronymics, and did not require surnames. In the 19th century, patronymic surnames became common. For personal names, from the first century CE until the nineteenth century CE,

pagan Paganism (from classical Latin ''pāgānus'' "rural", "rustic", later "civilian") is a term first used in the fourth century by early Christians for people in the Roman Empire who practiced polytheism, or ethnic religions other than Judaism. ...

names from antiquity were mostly replaced by names from

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

scriptures and tradition. With the

Modern Greek Enlightenment The Modern Greek Enlightenment ( el, Διαφωτισμός, ''Diafotismos'', "enlightenment," "illumination"; also known as the Neo-Hellenic Enlightenment) was the Greek expression of the Age of Enlightenment. Origins The Greek Enlightenment w ...

and the development of

Greek nationalism Greek nationalism (or Hellenic nationalism) refers to the nationalism of Greeks and Greek culture.. As an ideology, Greek nationalism originated and evolved in pre-modern times. It became a major political movement beginning in the 18th century, ...

, names from antiquity became popular again. Family names may be patronymic in origin or else based on occupation, location, or personal characteristic. These origins are often indicated by prefixes or suffixes. Traditionally a woman used a feminine version of her father's family name, replacing it with a feminine version of her husband's family name on marriage. In modern Greece, a woman keeps her father's family name for life but may use a husband's name.

Given names

Until the late 18th century, almost all Christian Greeks were named for Orthodox saints from the

Old Old or OLD may refer to: Places *Old, Baranya, Hungary *Old, Northamptonshire, England *Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD) *OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, Mai ...

and

New New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator ...

Testaments and early

tradition. Since then, names of both deities and mortals from antiquity have been popular as well. Male names usually end in -ας, -ης, and -ος, but sometimes ancient forms are also used. Female names almost always end in -α and -η, though a few end in -ώ with -ου being possible. Since antiquity, there has been a strong tradition of naming the first and second sons after the paternal and maternal grandfathers and the first and second daughters after the paternal and maternal grandmothers. This results in a continuation of names in the family line, but cousins with the same official name are almost always called by different shortened forms or diminutives. The French and

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

Wikipedias have detailed lists of Greek given names showing the widespread use of shortened forms and diminutives and shortened forms of diminutives in addition to the rarely used formal forms of the sometimes official

Demotic Greek Demotic Greek or Dimotiki ( el, Δημοτική Γλώσσα, , , ) is the standard spoken language of Greece in modern times and, since the resolution of the Greek language question in 1976, the official language of Greece. "Demotic Greek" (w ...

forms. These lists are understandable even if one doesn't understand German or French. These variants make it possible to differentiate between cousins despite these traditionally having the same official names because they are traditionally named after their grandparents. There is a strong clustering of first names by locality according to patron saints, famous churches, or monasteries. Examples include: * ''Spyridon'' and ''Spyridoula'' in

Corfu Corfu (, ) or Kerkyra ( el, Κέρκυρα, Kérkyra, , ; ; la, Corcyra.) is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea, of the Ionian Islands, and, including its small satellite islands, forms the margin of the northwestern frontier of Greece. The isl ...

* ''Gerasimos'' in

Kefalonia Kefalonia or Cephalonia ( el, Κεφαλονιά), formerly also known as Kefallinia or Kephallenia (), is the largest of the Ionian Islands in western Greece and the 6th largest island in Greece after Crete, Euboea, Lesbos, Rhodes and Chios. It ...

* ''Dionysios'' and ''Dionysia'' in

Zakynthos Zakynthos (also spelled Zakinthos; el, Ζάκυνθος, Zákynthos ; it, Zacinto ) or Zante (, , ; el, Τζάντε, Tzánte ; from the Venetian form) is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. It is the third largest of the Ionian Islands. Za ...

, * ''Andreas'' and ''Andriani or Androulla'' in

Patras ) , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 = , demographics1_info2 = , timezone1 = EET , utc_offset1 = +2 , ...

and the rest of

Achaea Achaea () or Achaia (), sometimes transliterated from Greek as Akhaia (, ''Akhaïa'' ), is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of Western Greece and is situated in the northwestern part of the Peloponnese peninsula. The ...

province, as well as

Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is geo ...

* ''Markos'' and ''Markella'' in

Chios Chios (; el, Χίος, Chíos , traditionally known as Scio in English) is the fifth largest Greek island, situated in the northern Aegean Sea. The island is separated from Turkey by the Chios Strait. Chios is notable for its exports of mastic ...

* ''Savvas'' for those descended from

Asia Minor Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The re ...

* ''Emmanuel'' or ''Manolis'', ''Iosif (Joseph)'' or ''Sifis'', ''Manousos'', and ''Minas'' in

Crete Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, and ...

* ''Tsambikos'' or ''Tsampika''/''Mika'' in

Rhodes Rhodes (; el, Ρόδος , translit=Ródos ) is the largest and the historical capital of the Dodecanese islands of Greece. Administratively, the island forms a separate municipality within the Rhodes regional unit, which is part of the So ...

. When Greek names are used in other languages, they are sometimes rendered phonetically, such as ''Eleni'' for Ἑλένη, and sometimes by their equivalents, like ''Helen'' in English or ''Hélène'' in French. In the United States, there are also conventional anglicizations based on phonetic similarity rather than etymology, for example James or Jimmy for Δημήτρης/Dimitris (nickname Ντίμης/Dimi, hence Jimmy), despite the English name

James James is a common English language surname and given name: *James (name), the typically masculine first name James * James (surname), various people with the last name James James or James City may also refer to: People * King James (disambiguat ...

and its diminutive Jimmy actually coming from Greek Ἰάκωβος Iakobos, English Jacob (through Vulgar Latin Iacomus from Latin Iacobus, which is the Latinized form of Ἰάκωβος Iakobos in the Vulgar Latin and originally Greek New Testament).

Family names

Greek family names are most commonly patronymics but may also be based on occupation, personal characteristics or location. The

feminine Femininity (also called womanliness) is a set of attributes, behaviors, and roles generally associated with women and girls. Femininity can be understood as socially constructed, and there is also some evidence that some behaviors considered fe ...

version is usually the

genitive In grammar, the genitive case (abbreviated ) is the grammatical case that marks a word, usually a noun, as modifying another word, also usually a noun—thus indicating an attributive relationship of one noun to the other noun. A genitive can al ...

of the family name of the woman's father or husband; so, for example, Mr. Yannatos and Mrs. Yannatou. As a result of their codification in the Modern Greek state, surnames have

Katharevousa Katharevousa ( el, Καθαρεύουσα, , literally "purifying anguage) is a conservative form of the Modern Greek language conceived in the late 18th century as both a literary language and a compromise between Ancient Greek and the contempor ...

forms even though Katharevousa is no longer the official standard. Thus, the Ancient Greek name Eleutherios forms the Modern Greek proper name Lefteris. In the past, people in speaking used the family name followed by the given name, so John Eleutherios was called Leftero-giannis. In modern practice he is called Giannis Eleftheriou, where Giannis is the popular form of the formal Ioannis but Eleftheriou is an archaic genitive. For women the surname is usually a Katharevousa genitive of a male name, whereas back in Byzantine times there were separate feminine forms of male surnames, such as ''Palaiologína'' for ''Palaiológos'' which nowadays would be ''Palaiológou''. In the past, women would change their surname on first marrying to that of their husband in the genitive case, so marking the change of dependence to husband from father. In early Modern Greek society, women were named with ''-aina'' as a feminine suffix on the husband's given name, for example "Giorgaina" signifying "wife of George". Nowadays, a woman's surname does not change upon marriage but she can use the husband's surname socially. Children usually receive the paternal surname, though some children receive the maternal surname in addition or exclusively.

Patronymic and matronymic

The use of the patronymic as part of a

personal name A personal name, or full name, in onomastic terminology also known as prosoponym (from Ancient Greek πρόσωπον / ''prósōpon'' - person, and ὄνομα / ''onoma'' - name), is the set of names by which an individual person is known ...

in everyday language is scarce and virtually non-existent, unlike languages with

Eastern Slavic naming customs Eastern Slavic naming customs are the traditional way of identifying a person's given name and patronymic name in Russia and some countries formerly part of the Russian Empire or the Soviet Union. They are commonly used in Russia, Belarus, Ukr ...

. It is used in lieu of the father's full name and it is inserted between a person's given name and surname. The use of the matronymic is even more rare. In a dated, self-styling practice, if Ioannis Papadopoulos has a daughter named Maria and a son named Andreas , they will be referred to as María Ioánnou Papadopoúlou and Andréas Ioánnou Papadópoulos. If Mary then marries George Demetriádes, she may retain her maiden name or choose to be styled María Geōrgíou Demetriádou. If she is widowed, she will revert to her father's patronymic but retain her husband's surname to become María Ioánnou Demetriádou. This largely obsolete styling practice is not reflected in official documents or the spoken language, but could be utilized by, e.g. authors or anyone who uses his/her name for business purposes.

Official documents

The foremost-and compulsory-identification document in Greece, the

Greek identity card The Greek identity Card ( el, Δελτίο αστυνομικής ταυτότητας, "police-issued identification card") is an official document of the Hellenic Republic, and the official national identification document for Greek citizens. T ...

, includes name information as follows: # Surname (''Επώνυμο'') # Given name(s) (''Όνομα'') # Father's name (''Όνομα Πατέρα'') # Father's surname (''Επώνυμο Πατέρα'') # Mother's name (''Όνομα Μητέρας'') # Mother's surname (''Επώνυμο Μητέρας'') Out of the six fields, only the first three are transliterated in English per

ELOT 743 Romanization of Greek is the transliteration (letter-mapping) or transcription (sound-mapping) of text from the Greek alphabet into the Latin alphabet. History The conventions for writing and romanizing Ancient Greek and Modern Greek differ ma ...

ISO 843 ISO 843 is a system for the transliteration and/or transcription of Greek characters into Latin characters.

. The first two comprise the

and the rest is just

identity Identity may refer to: * Identity document * Identity (philosophy) * Identity (social science) * Identity (mathematics) Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Identity'' (1987 film), an Iranian film * ''Identity'' (2003 film), ...

information. The

Cypriot identity card The Cypriot identity card is issued to citizens of Cyprus. It can be used as a travel document when visiting countries in Europe (except Belarus, Moldova (old version), Russia, Ukraine and United Kingdom), as well as French overseas territorie ...

also includes father's and mother's name and surname in Greek and English; however all fields are transliterated. In other significant identity documents, like the

Greek passport Greek passports are issued to Greek citizens for the purpose of international travel. Biometric passports have been issued since 26 August 2006, with old-style passports being declared invalid as of 1 January 2007. Since June 2009, the passport' ...

and Greek driving license, compliant to European standards, the mother's and father's names are completely omitted. Corresponding documents in

omit them as well. In other official documents in Greece, like, exempli gratia, a marriage certificate, names are included accordingly (Surname/Given Names/Father's Name/Father's Surname/Mother's Name/Mother's Surname). In education In

report card A report card, or just report in British English, communicates a student's performance academically. In most places, the report card is issued by the school to the student or the student's parents once to four times yearly. A typical report card ...

s and the

Apolytirion Apolyterio ( el, Απολυτήριο; in demotike, 1976–present) or phased out Apolytirion (; in polytonic, katharevousa, up until 1976) is the official senior secondary education school completion Certificate (graduation qualification) in Greec ...

, the students' names are displayed as "(''student's full name'') of (''father's full name'') and (''mother's full name'')". However, in universities and specifically university degrees, the practice varies. For example, university degrees of the

Aegean University The University of the Aegean ( el, Πανεπιστήμιο Αιγαίου) is a public, multi-campus university located in Lesvos, Chios, Samos, Rhodes, Syros and Lemnos, Greece. It was founded on March 20, 1984, by the Presidential Act 83/1984 ...

displays graduates' names as "(''student's surname and name'') of (''father's given name'')", whilst degrees from the

University of West Attica The University of West Attica (UniWA; el, Πανεπιστήμιο Δυτικής Αττικής, ΠαΔΑ) was established in 2018 as a result of the merger of the Technological Educational Institute of Athens and the Technological Educational ...

display both the patronymic and the matronymic.

Examples of given names

Ancient names

Acamas Acamas or Akamas (; Ancient Greek: Ἀκάμας, folk etymology: 'unwearying') was a name attributed to several characters in Greek mythology. The following three all fought in the Trojan War, and only the first was not mentioned by Homer. *Acam ...

(Ἀκάμας) # Achaeus (Ἀχαιός) #

Achilles In Greek mythology, Achilles ( ) or Achilleus ( grc-gre, Ἀχιλλεύς) was a hero of the Trojan War, the greatest of all the Greek warriors, and the central character of Homer's ''Iliad''. He was the son of the Nereid Thetis and Peleus, k ...

(Ἀχιλλεύς) #

Adonis In Greek mythology, Adonis, ; derived from the Canaanite word ''ʼadōn'', meaning "lord". R. S. P. Beekes, ''Etymological Dictionary of Greek'', Brill, 2009, p. 23. was the mortal lover of the goddess Aphrodite. One day, Adonis was gored by ...

(Ἄδωνις) #

Aeneas In Greco-Roman mythology, Aeneas (, ; from ) was a Trojan hero, the son of the Trojan prince Anchises and the Greek goddess Aphrodite (equivalent to the Roman Venus). His father was a first cousin of King Priam of Troy (both being grandsons ...

(Αἰνείας) #

Agamemnon In Greek mythology, Agamemnon (; grc-gre, Ἀγαμέμνων ''Agamémnōn'') was a king of Mycenae who commanded the Greeks during the Trojan War. He was the son, or grandson, of King Atreus and Queen Aerope, the brother of Menelaus, the husb ...

(Αγαμέμνων) #

Agathocles Agathocles (Greek: ) is a Greek name, the most famous of which is Agathocles of Syracuse, the tyrant of Syracuse. The name is derived from , ''agathos'', i.e. "good" and , ''kleos'', i.e. "glory". Other personalities named Agathocles: *Agathocles, ...

(Ἀγαθοκλῆς) #

Agenor Agenor (; Ancient Greek: Ἀγήνωρ or Αγήνορας ''Agēnor''; English language, English translation: "heroic, manly") was in Greek mythology and history a Phoenician monarch, king of Tyre, Lebanon, Tyre or Sidon. The Dorians, Doric Gr ...

(Ἀγήνωρ) # Alcaeus (Ἀλκαῖος) #

Alcibiades Alcibiades ( ; grc-gre, Ἀλκιβιάδης; 450 – 404 BC) was a prominent Athenian statesman, orator, and general. He was the last of the Alcmaeonidae, which fell from prominence after the Peloponnesian War. He played a major role in t ...

(Ἀλκιβιάδης) #

Alcman Alcman (; grc-gre, Ἀλκμάν ''Alkmán''; fl. 7th century BC) was an Ancient Greek choral lyric poet from Sparta. He is the earliest representative of the Alexandrian canon of the Nine Lyric Poets. Biography Alcman's dates are u ...

(Ἀλκμάν) #

Alcyone In Greek mythology, Alcyone or Halcyone (; grc, Ἀλκυόνη, Alkyónē derived from grc, ἀλκυών, alkyṓn, kingfisher, label=none) and Ceyx (; grc, Κήϋξ, Kḗÿx) were a wife and husband who incurred the wrath of the god Zeus ...

(Ἀλκυόνη) #

Alexander Alexander is a male given name. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history. Variants listed here are Aleksandar, Al ...

(Ἀλέξανδρος) # Amyntas (Ἀμύντας) #

Anacreon Anacreon (; grc-gre, Ἀνακρέων ὁ Τήϊος; BC) was a Greek lyric poet, notable for his drinking songs and erotic poems. Later Greeks included him in the canonical list of Nine Lyric Poets. Anacreon wrote all of his poetry in the ...

(Ἀνακρέων) # Anaximandros (Ἀναξίμανδρος) #

Antenor __NOTOC__ Antenor ( grc-gre, Ἀντήνωρ, ''Antḗnōr''; BC) was an Athenian sculptor. He is recorded as the creator of the joint statues of the tyrannicides Harmodius and Aristogeiton funded by the Athenians on the expulsion of Hipp ...

(Ἀντήνωρ) # Antiochus (Ἀντίoχoς) #

Androcles Androcles ( el, Ἀνδροκλῆς, alternatively spelled Androclus in Latin), is the main character of a common folktale about a man befriending a lion. The tale is included in the Aarne–Thompson classification system as type 156. The ...

(Ἀνδροκλῆς) #

Andromache In Greek mythology, Andromache (; grc, Ἀνδρομάχη, ) was the wife of Hector, daughter of Eetion, and sister to Podes. She was born and raised in the city of Cilician Thebe, over which her father ruled. The name means 'man battler' or ...

(Ἀνδρομάχη) # Andronicus (Ἀνδρόνικος) # Andromeda (Ἀνδρομέδα) #

Antigone In Greek mythology, Antigone ( ; Ancient Greek: Ἀντιγόνη) is the daughter of Oedipus and either his mother Jocasta or, in another variation of the myth, Euryganeia. She is a sister of Polynices, Eteocles, and Ismene.Roman, L., & Roma ...

(Ἀντιγόνη) #

Aphrodite Aphrodite ( ; grc-gre, Ἀφροδίτη, Aphrodítē; , , ) is an ancient Greek goddess associated with love, lust, beauty, pleasure, passion, and procreation. She was syncretized with the Roman goddess . Aphrodite's major symbols include ...

(Ἀφροδίτη) # Apollonius (Ἀπολλώνιος) #

Arcesilaus Arcesilaus (; grc-gre, Ἀρκεσίλαος; 316/5–241/0 BC) was a Greek Hellenistic philosopher. He was the founder of Academic Skepticism and what is variously called the Second or Middle or New Academy – the phase of the Platonic Acade ...

(Ἀρκεσίλαος) # Archelaus (Ἀρχέλαος) #

Archelochus In Greek mythology, Archelochus (Ancient Greek: Ἀρχέλοχος) was a son of Antenor and Theano. Along with his brother, Acamas, and Aeneas, he shared the command of the Dardanians fighting on the side of the Trojans. Family Archelochus was ...

(Ἀρχέλοχος) #

Archimedes Archimedes of Syracuse (;; ) was a Greek mathematician, physicist, engineer, astronomer, and inventor from the ancient city of Syracuse in Sicily. Although few details of his life are known, he is regarded as one of the leading scientists ...

(Ἀρχιμήδης) #

Arete ''Arete'' (Greek: ) is a concept in ancient Greek thought that, in its most basic sense, refers to 'excellence' of any kind Liddell, H.G. & Scott, R. ''A Greek–English Lexicon'', 9th ed. (Oxford, 1940), s.v.br>—especially a person or thi ...

(Ἀρήτη) # Argus (Ἀργός) #

Ariadne Ariadne (; grc-gre, Ἀριάδνη; la, Ariadne) was a Cretan princess in Greek mythology. She was mostly associated with mazes and labyrinths because of her involvement in the myths of the Minotaur and Theseus. She is best known for having ...

(Ἀριάδνη) # Aristarchus (Ἀρίσταρχος) #

Aristides Aristides ( ; grc-gre, Ἀριστείδης, Aristeídēs, ; 530–468 BC) was an ancient Athenian statesman. Nicknamed "the Just" (δίκαιος, ''dikaios''), he flourished in the early quarter of Athens' Classical period and is remember ...

(Ἀριστείδης) # Aristippus (Ἀρίστιππος) #

Aristo Aristo (from el, ) may refer to: People Given name * Aristo of Ceos (3rd century BC), Peripatetic philosopher * Aristo of Chios (3rd century BC), Stoic philosopher and colleague of Zeno of Citium * Aristo of Alexandria (1st century BC), Perip ...

(Ἀρίστων) # Aristocles (Ἀριστοκλῆς) #

Aristophanes Aristophanes (; grc, Ἀριστοφάνης, ; c. 446 – c. 386 BC), son of Philippus, of the deme In Ancient Greece, a deme or ( grc, δῆμος, plural: demoi, δημοι) was a suburb or a subdivision of Athens and other city-states ...

(Ἀριστοφάνης) #

Aristotle Aristotle (; grc-gre, Ἀριστοτέλης ''Aristotélēs'', ; 384–322 BC) was a Greek philosopher and polymath during the Classical period in Ancient Greece. Taught by Plato, he was the founder of the Peripatetic school of phil ...

(Ἀριστοτέλης) #

Artemis In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Artemis (; grc-gre, Ἄρτεμις) is the goddess of the hunt, the wilderness, wild animals, nature, vegetation, childbirth, care of children, and chastity. She was heavily identified wit ...

(Ἄρτεμις) #

Arion Arion (; grc-gre, Ἀρίων; fl. c. 700 BC) was a kitharode in ancient Greece, a Dionysiac poet credited with inventing the dithyramb. The islanders of Lesbos claimed him as their native son, but Arion found a patron in Periander, tyrant ...

(Ἀρίων) #

Aspasia Aspasia (; grc-gre, Ἀσπασία ; after 428 BC) was a ''metic'' woman in Classical Athens. Born in Miletus, she moved to Athens and began a relationship with the statesman Pericles, with whom she had a son, Pericles the Younger. Accordin ...

(Ἀσπασία) #

Athena Athena or Athene, often given the epithet Pallas, is an ancient Greek goddess associated with wisdom, warfare, and handicraft who was later syncretized with the Roman goddess Minerva. Athena was regarded as the patron and protectress of ...

(Ἀθηνᾶ) # Athenodoros (Ἀθηνόδωρος) #

Atreus In Greek mythology, Atreus ( , ; from ἀ-, "no" and τρέω, "tremble", "fearless", gr, Ἀτρεύς ) was a king of Mycenae in the Peloponnese, the son of Pelops and Hippodamia, and the father of Agamemnon and Menelaus. Collectively, hi ...

(Ἀτρεύς) #

Berenice Berenice ( grc, Βερενίκη, ''Bereníkē'') is the Ancient Macedonian form of the Attic Greek name ''Pherenikē'', which means "bearer of victory" . Berenika, priestess of Demeter in Lete ca. 350 BC, is the oldest epigraphical evidence. ...

(Βερενίκη) #

Calchas Calchas (; grc, Κάλχας, ''Kalkhas'') is an Argive mantis, or "seer," dated to the Age of Legend, which is an aspect of Greek mythology. Calchas appears in the opening scenes of the ''Iliad'', which is believed to have been based on a war ...

(Κάλχας) #

Calliope In Greek mythology, Calliope ( ; grc, Καλλιόπη, Kalliópē, beautiful-voiced) is the Muse who presides over eloquence and epic poetry; so called from the ecstatic harmony of her voice. Hesiod and Ovid called her the "Chief of all Muses" ...

(Καλλιόπη) #

Callirrhoe Callirrhoe (, grc, Καλλιρρόη; also Callirhoe) may refer to: * Callirhoe (mythology), several figures in Greek mythology, including: ** Callirrhoe (Oceanid), daughter of Oceanus and Tethys ** Callirrhoe (daughter of Achelous) * Callirrhoe ...

(Καλλιρρόη) #

Cassandra Cassandra or Kassandra (; Ancient Greek: Κασσάνδρα, , also , and sometimes referred to as Alexandra) in Greek mythology was a Trojan priestess dedicated to the god Apollo and fated by him to utter true prophecies but never to be believe ...

(Κασσάνδρα) # Cassiopeia (Κασσιόπεια) #

Chryses In Greek mythology, Chryses (; Greek, Χρύσης ''Khrúsēs'', meaning "golden") was a Trojan priest of Apollo at Chryse, near the city of Troy. Family According to a tradition mentioned by Eustathius of Thessalonica, Chryses and Briseus ...

(Χρύσης) #

Cleanthes Cleanthes (; grc-gre, Κλεάνθης; c. 330 BC – c. 230 BC), of Assos, was a Greek Stoic philosopher and boxer who was the successor to Zeno of Citium as the second head (''scholarch'') of the Stoic school in Athens. Originally a boxer, he ...

(Κλεάνθης) #

Cleopatra Cleopatra VII Philopator ( grc-gre, Κλεοπάτρα Φιλοπάτωρ}, "Cleopatra the father-beloved"; 69 BC10 August 30 BC) was Queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt from 51 to 30 BC, and its last active ruler.She was also a ...

(Κλεοπάτρα) #

Clio In Greek mythology, Clio ( , ; el, Κλειώ), also spelled Kleio, is the muse of history, or in a few mythological accounts, the muse of lyre playing. Etymology Clio's name is etymologically derived from the Greek root κλέω/κλεί� ...

(Κλειώ) # Clymenus (Κλύμενος) #

Clytaemnestra Clytemnestra (; grc-gre, Κλυταιμνήστρα, ''Klytaimnḗstrā'', ), in Greek mythology, was the wife of Agamemnon, king of Mycenae, and the twin sister of Helen of Troy. In Aeschylus' ''Oresteia'', she murders Agamemnon – said by E ...

(Κλυταιμνήστρα) #

Coön In Greek mythology, Coön (Ancient Greek: Κόων, gen. Κόωνος), also known as Cynon (Κύνων), was the eldest son of Antenor and Theano. Like most of his brothers, he fought and fell in the Trojan War. Family Coön was the brother o ...

(Κόων) #

Creon Creon may refer to: Greek history * Creon, the first annual eponymous archon of Athens, 682–681 BC Greek mythology * Creon (king of Thebes), mythological king of Thebes * Creon (king of Corinth), father of Creusa/Glauce in Euripides' ''Medea' ...

(Κρέων) #

Crino In Greek mythology, the name Crino (; grc, Κρινώ means "white lily") may refer to: *Crino, one of the many consorts of King Danaus of Libya, mother of the Danaïdes Callidice, Oeme, Celaeno and Hyperippe. These daughters wed and slayed their ...

(Κρινώ) #

Daedalus In Greek mythology, Daedalus (, ; Greek: Δαίδαλος; Latin: ''Daedalus''; Etruscan: ''Taitale'') was a skillful architect and craftsman, seen as a symbol of wisdom, knowledge and power. He is the father of Icarus, the uncle of Perdix, an ...

(Δαίδαλος) #

Danaë In Greek mythology, Danaë (, ; ; , ) was an Argive princess and mother of the hero Perseus by Zeus. She was credited with founding the city of Ardea in Latium during the Bronze Age. Family Danae was the daughter and only child of King Acris ...

(Δανάη) #

Daphne Daphne (; ; el, Δάφνη, , ), a minor figure in Greek mythology, is a naiad, a variety of female nymph associated with fountains, wells, springs, streams, brooks and other bodies of freshwater. There are several versions of the myth in whi ...

(Δάφνη) #

Demeter In ancient Greek religion and mythology, Demeter (; Attic: ''Dēmḗtēr'' ; Doric: ''Dāmā́tēr'') is the Olympian goddess of the harvest and agriculture, presiding over crops, grains, food, and the fertility of the earth. Although s ...

(Δημήτηρ) #

Democritus Democritus (; el, Δημόκριτος, ''Dēmókritos'', meaning "chosen of the people"; – ) was an Ancient Greek pre-Socratic philosopher from Abdera, primarily remembered today for his formulation of an atomic theory of the universe. No ...

(Δημόκριτος) #

Demoleon In Greek mythology, Demoleon (Ancient Greek: Δημολέων) was a Trojan warrior, son of Antenor and Theano. His father was a counselor to King Priam and his mother was a priestess of Athena. Family Demoleon was the brother of Crino, Acamas ...

(Δημολέων) #

Demosthenes Demosthenes (; el, Δημοσθένης, translit=Dēmosthénēs; ; 384 – 12 October 322 BC) was a Greek statesman and orator in ancient Athens. His orations constitute a significant expression of contemporary Athenian intellectual prow ...

(Δημοσθένης) # Despina (Δέσποινα) # Diocles (Διοκλῆς) #

Diodorus Diodorus Siculus, or Diodorus of Sicily ( grc-gre, Διόδωρος ; 1st century BC), was an ancient Greek historian. He is known for writing the monumental universal history ''Bibliotheca historica'', in forty books, fifteen of which su ...

(Διόδωρος) #

Diogenes Diogenes ( ; grc, Διογένης, Diogénēs ), also known as Diogenes the Cynic (, ) or Diogenes of Sinope, was a Greek philosopher and one of the founders of Cynicism (philosophy). He was born in Sinope, an Ionian colony on the Black Sea ...

(Διογένης) #

Diomedes Diomedes (Jones, Daniel; Roach, Peter, James Hartman and Jane Setter, eds. ''Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary''. 17th edition. Cambridge UP, 2006.) or Diomede (; grc-gre, Διομήδης, Diomēdēs, "god-like cunning" or "advised by ...

(Διομήδης) #

Dionysios The name Dionysius (; el, Διονύσιος ''Dionysios'', "of Dionysus"; la, Dionysius) was common in classical and post-classical times. Etymologically it is a nominalized adjective formed with a -ios suffix from the stem Dionys- of the name ...

(Διονύσιος) #

Dionysus In ancient Greek religion and myth, Dionysus (; grc, Διόνυσος ) is the god of the grape-harvest, winemaking, orchards and fruit, vegetation, fertility, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, festivity, and theatre. The Romans ...

(Διόνυσος) #

Electra Electra (; grc, Ήλέκτρα) is one of the most popular mythological characters in tragedies.Evans (1970), p. 79 She is the main character in two Greek tragedies, '' Electra'' by Sophocles and '' Electra'' by Euripides. She is also the centra ...

(Ἡλέκτρα) #

Empedocles Empedocles (; grc-gre, Ἐμπεδοκλῆς; , 444–443 BC) was a Greek pre-Socratic philosopher and a native citizen of Akragas, a Greek city in Sicily. Empedocles' philosophy is best known for originating the cosmogonic theory of the fo ...

(Ἐμπεδοκλῆς) #

Epictetus Epictetus (; grc-gre, Ἐπίκτητος, ''Epíktētos''; 50 135 AD) was a Greek Stoic philosopher. He was born into slavery at Hierapolis, Phrygia (present-day Pamukkale, in western Turkey) and lived in Rome until his banishment, when ...

(Ἐπίκτητος) #

Epicurus Epicurus (; grc-gre, Ἐπίκουρος ; 341–270 BC) was an ancient Greek philosopher and sage who founded Epicureanism, a highly influential school of philosophy. He was born on the Greek island of Samos to Athenian parents. Influenced ...

(Ἐπίκουρος) #

Eratosthenes Eratosthenes of Cyrene (; grc-gre, Ἐρατοσθένης ; – ) was a Greek polymath: a mathematician, geographer, poet, astronomer, and music theorist. He was a man of learning, becoming the chief librarian at the Library of Alexandria ...

(Ἐρατοσθένης) #

Eteocles In Greek mythology, Eteocles (; ) was a king of Thebes, the son of Oedipus and either Jocasta or Euryganeia. Oedipus killed his father Laius and married his mother without knowing his relationship to either. When the relationship was revealed, ...

(Ἐτεοκλῆς) #

Euclid Euclid (; grc-gre, Wikt:Εὐκλείδης, Εὐκλείδης; BC) was an ancient Greek mathematician active as a geometer and logician. Considered the "father of geometry", he is chiefly known for the ''Euclid's Elements, Elements'' trea ...

(Εὐκλείδης) # Eucratides (Εὐκρατίδης) #

Euripides Euripides (; grc, Εὐριπίδης, Eurīpídēs, ; ) was a tragedian Tragedy (from the grc-gre, τραγῳδία, ''tragōidia'', ''tragōidia'') is a genre of drama based on human suffering and, mainly, the terrible or sorrowful e ...

(Εὐριπίδης) #

Europa Europa may refer to: Places * Europe * Europa (Roman province), a province within the Diocese of Thrace * Europa (Seville Metro), Seville, Spain; a station on the Seville Metro * Europa City, Paris, France; a planned development * Europa Cliff ...

(Εὐρώπη) #

Eurydice Eurydice (; Ancient Greek: Εὐρυδίκη 'wide justice') was a character in Greek mythology and the Auloniad wife of Orpheus, who tried to bring her back from the dead with his enchanting music. Etymology Several meanings for the name ...

(Εὐρυδίκη) #

Eurymachus The name Eurymachus (; Ancient Greek: Εὐρύμαχος ''Eurúmakhos'') is attributed to the following individuals: ''Mythology'' * Eurymachus, son of Hermes and father of Eriboea, mother of the Aloadae. *Eurymachus, a prince of the Phlegyes ...

(Εὐρύμαχος) # Euthydemus (Εὐθύδημος) # Euthymia (Εὐθυμία) #

Gaea In Greek mythology, Gaia (; from Ancient Greek , a poetical form of , 'land' or 'earth'),, , . also spelled Gaea , is the personification of the Earth and one of the Greek primordial deities. Gaia is the ancestral mother—sometimes partheno ...

(Γαῖα) #

Glaucus In Greek mythology, Glaucus (; grc, Γλαῦκος, Glaûkos, glimmering) was a Greek prophetic sea-god, born mortal and turned immortal upon eating a magical herb. It was believed that he came to the rescue of sailors and fishermen in storms, ...

(Γλαῦκος) #

Gorgias Gorgias (; grc-gre, Γοργίας; 483–375 BC) was an ancient Greek sophist, pre-Socratic philosopher, and rhetorician who was a native of Leontinoi in Sicily. Along with Protagoras, he forms the first generation of Sophists. Several doxogr ...

(Γοργίας) #

Harmonia In Greek mythology, Harmonia (; grc, Ἁρμονία / harmoˈnia/, "harmony", "agreement") is the immortal goddess of harmony and concord. Her Roman counterpart is Concordia. Her Greek opposite is Eris, whose Roman counterpart is Discord ...

(Ἁρμονία) #

Hector In Greek mythology, Hector (; grc, Ἕκτωρ, Hektōr, label=none, ) is a character in Homer's Iliad. He was a Trojan prince and the greatest warrior for Troy during the Trojan War. Hector led the Trojans and their allies in the defense o ...

(Ἕκτωρ) #

Helen Helen may refer to: People * Helen of Troy, in Greek mythology, the most beautiful woman in the world * Helen (actress) (born 1938), Indian actress * Helen (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name) Places * Helen, ...

(Ἑλένη) # Helianthe (Ἡλιάνθη) #

Helicaon In Greek mythology, Helicaon or Helikaon (Ancient Greek: Ἑλικάων) was a Trojan warrior and son of the elder AntenorHomer, ''Iliad'' 3.123 and the priestess Theano. He was the brother of Crino, including Acamas, Agenor, Antheus, Archeloch ...

(Ἑλικάων) #

Heliodorus Heliodorus is a Greek name meaning "Gift of the Sun". Several persons named Heliodorus are known to us from ancient times, the best known of which are: *Heliodorus (minister) a minister of Seleucus IV Philopator c. 175 BC * Heliodorus of Athen ...

(Ἡλιόδωρος) #

Hera In ancient Greek religion, Hera (; grc-gre, Ἥρα, Hḗrā; grc, Ἥρη, Hḗrē, label=none in Ionic and Homeric Greek) is the goddess of marriage, women and family, and the protector of women during childbirth. In Greek mythology, she ...

(Ἥρα) #

Heracles Heracles ( ; grc-gre, Ἡρακλῆς, , glory/fame of Hera), born Alcaeus (, ''Alkaios'') or Alcides (, ''Alkeidēs''), was a divine hero in Greek mythology, the son of Zeus and Alcmene, and the foster son of Amphitryon.By his adoptive ...

(Ἡρακλῆς) #

Hermes Hermes (; grc-gre, Ἑρμῆς) is an Olympian deity in ancient Greek religion and mythology. Hermes is considered the herald of the gods. He is also considered the protector of human heralds, travellers, thieves, merchants, and orato ...

(Ἑρμῆς) #

Hermione Hermione may refer to: People * Hermione (given name), a female given name * Hermione (mythology), only daughter of Menelaus and Helen in Greek mythology and original bearer of the name Arts and literature * ''Cadmus et Hermione'', an opera by ...

(Ἑρμιόνη) #

Herodotus Herodotus ( ; grc, , }; BC) was an ancient Greek historian and geographer from the Greek city of Halicarnassus, part of the Persian Empire (now Bodrum, Turkey) and a later citizen of Thurii in modern Calabria ( Italy). He is known f ...

(Ἡρόδοτος) #

Hesiod Hesiod (; grc-gre, Ἡσίοδος ''Hēsíodos'') was an ancient Greek poet generally thought to have been active between 750 and 650 BC, around the same time as Homer. He is generally regarded by western authors as 'the first written poet i ...

(Ἡσίοδος) #

Hippocrates Hippocrates of Kos (; grc-gre, Ἱπποκράτης ὁ Κῷος, Hippokrátēs ho Kôios; ), also known as Hippocrates II, was a Greek physician of the classical period who is considered one of the most outstanding figures in the history of ...

(Ἱπποκράτης) #

Hippolyta In Classical Greek mythology, Hippolyta, or Hippolyte (; grc-gre, Ἱππολύτη ''Hippolytē'') was a daughter of Ares and Otrera, queen of the Amazons, and a sister of Antiope and Melanippe. She wore her father Ares' ''zoster'', the Gr ...

(Ἱππολύτη) # Hippolytus (Ἱππόλυτος) #

Homer Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the ...

(Ὅμηρος) #

Hyacinth Hyacinth or Hyacinthus may refer to: Nature Plants * Hyacinth (plant), genus ''Hyacinthus'' ** '' Hyacinthus orientalis'', common hyacinth * Grape hyacinth, '' Muscari'', a genus of perennial bulbous plants native to Eurasia * Hyacinth bean, ''L ...

(Ὑάκινθος) #

Hypatia Hypatia, Koine pronunciation (born 350–370; died 415 AD) was a neoplatonist philosopher, astronomer, and mathematician, who lived in Alexandria, Egypt, then part of the Eastern Roman Empire. She was a prominent thinker in Alexandria wher ...

(Ὑπατία) # Ianthe (Ἰάνθη) #

Icarus In Greek mythology, Icarus (; grc, Ἴκαρος, Íkaros, ) was the son of the master craftsman Daedalus, the architect of the labyrinth of Crete. After Theseus, king of Athens and enemy of Minos, escaped from the labyrinth, King Minos suspe ...

(Ἴκαρος) #

Idomeneus In Greek mythology, Idomeneus (; el, Ἰδομενεύς) was a Cretan king and commander who led the Cretan armies to the Trojan War, in eighty black ships. He was also one of the suitors of Helen, as well as a comrade of the Telamonian Ajax. ...

(Ἰδομενεύς) # Ino (Ἰνώ) #

Ion An ion () is an atom or molecule with a net electrical charge. The charge of an electron is considered to be negative by convention and this charge is equal and opposite to the charge of a proton, which is considered to be positive by conve ...

(Ἴων) #

Iphidamas In Greek mythology, the name Iphidamas (Ancient Greek: Ἰφιδάμας, gen. Ἰφιδάμαντος) may refer to: * Iphidamas, also known as Amphidamas, son of Aleus and counted as one of the Argonauts. * Iphidamas (or Amphidamas), a son of ...

(Ἰφιδάμας) #

Iphigenia In Greek mythology, Iphigenia (; grc, Ἰφιγένεια, , ) was a daughter of King Agamemnon and Queen Clytemnestra, and thus a princess of Mycenae. In the story, Agamemnon offends the goddess Artemis on his way to the Trojan War by hunting ...

(Ἰφιγένεια) #

Irene Irene is a name derived from εἰρήνη (eirēnē), the Greek for "peace". Irene, and related names, may refer to: * Irene (given name) Places * Irene, Gauteng, South Africa * Irene, South Dakota, United States * Irene, Texas, United Stat ...

/Irini (Εἰρήνη) #

Ismene In Greek mythology, Ismene (; grc, Ἰσμήνη, ''Ismēnē'') is the daughter and half-sister of Oedipus, daughter and granddaughter of Jocasta, and sister of Antigone, Eteocles, and Polynices. She appears in several plays of Sophocles: at the ...

(Ἰσμήνη) #

Jason Jason ( ; ) was an ancient Greek mythological hero and leader of the Argonauts, whose quest for the Golden Fleece featured in Greek literature. He was the son of Aeson, the rightful king of Iolcos. He was married to the sorceress Medea. He w ...

(Ἰάσων) #

Jocasta In Greek mythology, Jocasta (), also rendered Iocaste ( grc, Ἰοκάστη ) and also known as Epicaste (; ), was a daughter of Menoeceus, a descendant of the Spartoi Echion, and queen consort of Thebes. She was the wife of first Laius, t ...

(Ἰοκάστη) #

Laodamas Laodamas (; Ancient Greek: Λᾱοδάμᾱς, ''Lāodámās'', literally "tamer of the people") refers to five different people in Greek mythology. * Laodamas, son of Eteocles, inherited Thebes from his father.Pausanias, 9.5.13 In one version of ...

(Λαοδάμας) # Laodice (Λαοδίκη) #

Leonidas Leonidas I (; grc-gre, Λεωνίδας; died 19 September 480 BC) was a List of kings of Sparta#Heraclids, king of the Greek city-state of Sparta, and the 17th of the List of kings of Sparta#Agiad dynasty, Agiad line, a dynasty which claimed d ...

(Λεωνίδας) #

Leto In ancient Greek mythology and Ancient Greek religion, religion, Leto (; grc-gre, Λητώ , ''Lētṓ'', or , ''Lātṓ'' in Ancient Greek dialects#Provenance, Doric Greek) is a goddess and the mother of Apollo, the god of music, and Artemis ...

(Λητώ) #

Lycurgus Lycurgus or Lykourgos () may refer to: People * Lycurgus (king of Sparta) (third century BC) * Lycurgus (lawgiver) (eighth century BC), creator of constitution of Sparta * Lycurgus of Athens (fourth century BC), one of the 'ten notable orators' ...

(Λυκοῦργος) #

Medea In Greek mythology, Medea (; grc, Μήδεια, ''Mēdeia'', perhaps implying "planner / schemer") is the daughter of King Aeëtes of Colchis, a niece of Circe and the granddaughter of the sun god Helios. Medea figures in the myth of Jason an ...

(Μήδεια) #

Melpomene In Greek mythology, Melpomene (; grc, Μελπομένη, Melpoménē, to sing' or 'the one that is melodious), initially the muse of chorus, eventually became the muse of tragedy, and is now best known in that association. Etymology Melp ...

(Μελπομένη) #

Menander Menander (; grc-gre, Μένανδρος ''Menandros''; c. 342/41 – c. 290 BC) was a Greek dramatist and the best-known representative of Athenian New Comedy. He wrote 108 comedies and took the prize at the Lenaia festival eight times. His rec ...

(Μένανδρος) #

Menelaus In Greek mythology, Menelaus (; grc-gre, Μενέλαος , 'wrath of the people', ) was a king of Mycenaean (pre- Dorian) Sparta. According to the ''Iliad'', Menelaus was a central figure in the Trojan War, leading the Spartan contingent of th ...

(Μενέλαος) # Metrodorus (Μητρόδωρος) #

Miltiades Miltiades (; grc-gre, Μιλτιάδης; c. 550 – 489 BC), also known as Miltiades the Younger, was a Greek Athenian citizen known mostly for his role in the Battle of Marathon, as well as for his downfall afterwards. He was the son of Cimon C ...

(Μιλτιάδης) #

Myron Myron of Eleutherae ( grc, Μύρων, ''Myrōn'' ), working c. 480–440 BC, was an Athenian sculptor from the mid-5th century BC. He was born in Eleutherae on the borders of Boeotia and Attica. According to Pliny's '' Natural History'', Agelad ...

(Μύρων) # Narcissus (Νάρκισσος) #

Neoptolemus In Greek mythology, Neoptolemus (; ), also called Pyrrhus (; ), was the son of the warrior Achilles and the princess Deidamia, and the brother of Oneiros. He became the mythical progenitor of the ruling dynasty of the Molossians of ancient Epi ...

(Νεοπτόλεμος) # Nestor (Νέστωρ) #

Nicander Nicander of Colophon ( grc-gre, Νίκανδρος ὁ Κολοφώνιος, Níkandros ho Kolophṓnios; fl. 2nd century BC), Greek poet, physician and grammarian, was born at Claros (Ahmetbeyli in modern Turkey), near Colophon, where his famil ...

(Νίκανδρος) # Nicanor (Nικάνωρ) #

Nicodemus Nicodemus (; grc-gre, Νικόδημος, Nikódēmos) was a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin mentioned in three places in the Gospel of John: * He first visits Jesus one night to discuss Jesus' teachings (). * The second time Nicodem ...

(Νικόδημος) #

Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine give ...

(Νίκη) #

Nikolaos Nikolaos ( el, Νικόλαος, ') is a common Greek given name which means "Victor of People", a compound of νίκη '' nikē'' 'victory' and λαός laos' 'people'. The connotation is "people's champion" or "conqueror of people". The English ...

(Νικόλαος) #

Oceanus In Greek mythology, Oceanus (; grc-gre, , Ancient Greek pronunciation: , also Ὠγενός , Ὤγενος , or Ὠγήν ) was a Titan son of Uranus and Gaia, the husband of his sister the Titan Tethys, and the father of the river gods a ...

(Ὠκεανός) #

Odysseus Odysseus ( ; grc-gre, Ὀδυσσεύς, Ὀδυσεύς, OdysseúsOdyseús, ), also known by the Latin variant Ulysses ( , ; lat, UlyssesUlixes), is a legendary Greek king of Ithaca and the hero of Homer's epic poem the ''Odyssey''. Odysse ...

(Ὀδυσσεύς) #

Oedipus Oedipus (, ; grc-gre, Οἰδίπους "swollen foot") was a mythical Greek king of Thebes. A tragic hero in Greek mythology, Oedipus accidentally fulfilled a prophecy that he would end up killing his father and marrying his mother, thereby ...

(Οἰδίπους) #

Olympias Olympias ( grc-gre, Ὀλυμπιάς; c. 375–316 BC) was a Greek princess of the Molossians, and the eldest daughter of king Neoptolemus I of Epirus, the sister of Alexander I of Epirus, the fourth wife of Philip II, the king of Macedonia a ...

(Ὀλυμπιάς) # Orestis (Ὀρέστης) #

Orpheus Orpheus (; Ancient Greek: Ὀρφεύς, classical pronunciation: ; french: Orphée) is a Thracian bard, legendary musician and prophet in ancient Greek religion. He was also a renowned poet and, according to the legend, travelled with Jaso ...

(Ὀρφεύς) #

Pandora In Greek mythology, Pandora (Greek: , derived from , ''pān'', i.e. "all" and , ''dōron'', i.e. "gift", thus "the all-endowed", "all-gifted" or "all-giving") was the first human woman created by Hephaestus on the instructions of Zeus. As Hes ...

(Πανδώρα) #

Pantaleon Pantaleon, also known as Panteleimon, (Greek: ) was a Greek king who reigned some time between 190–180 BC in Bactria and India. He was a younger contemporary or successor of the Greco-Bactrian king Demetrius, and is sometimes believed to ha ...

(Πανταλέων) #

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

(Πάρις) #

Patroclus In Greek mythology, as recorded in Homer's ''Iliad'', Patroclus (pronunciation variable but generally ; grc, Πάτροκλος, Pátroklos, glory of the father) was a childhood friend, close wartime companion, and the presumed (by some later a ...

(Πάτροκλος) #

Pausanias Pausanias ( el, Παυσανίας) may refer to: *Pausanias of Athens, lover of the poet Agathon and a character in Plato's ''Symposium'' *Pausanias the Regent, Spartan general and regent of the 5th century BC *Pausanias of Sicily, physician of th ...

(Παυσανίας) #

Peleus In Greek mythology, Peleus (; Ancient Greek: Πηλεύς ''Pēleus'') was a hero, king of Phthia, husband of Thetis and the father of their son Achilles. This myth was already known to the hearers of Homer in the late 8th century BC. Biograp ...

(Πηλεύς) #

Penelope Penelope ( ; Ancient Greek: Πηνελόπεια, ''Pēnelópeia'', or el, Πηνελόπη, ''Pēnelópē'') is a character in Homer's ''Odyssey.'' She was the queen of Ithaca and was the daughter of Spartan king Icarius and naiad Periboea. Pe ...

(Πηνελόπη) #

Pericles Pericles (; grc-gre, Περικλῆς; c. 495 – 429 BC) was a Greek politician and general during the Golden Age of Athens. He was prominent and influential in Athenian politics, particularly between the Greco-Persian Wars and the Pelopo ...

(Περικλῆς) #

Phaethon Phaethon (; grc, Φαέθων, Phaéthōn, ), also spelled Phaëthon, was the son of the Oceanid Clymene and the sun-god Helios in Greek mythology. According to most authors, Phaethon is the son of Helios, and out of desire to have his par ...

(Φαίδων) #

Pheidias Phidias or Pheidias (; grc, Φειδίας, ''Pheidias''; 480 – 430 BC) was a Greek sculptor, painter, and architect. His Statue of Zeus at Olympia was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Phidias also designed the statu ...

Phidias Phidias or Pheidias (; grc, Φειδίας, ''Pheidias''; 480 – 430 BC) was a Greek sculptor, painter, and architect. His Statue of Zeus at Olympia was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Phidias also designed the stat ...

(Φειδίας) #

Philippos Philippos is a masculine given name, cognate to Philip. Notable people with the surname include: * Philippos Constantinos, Cypriot singer * Philippos Syrigos (1948–2013), Greek investigative journalist and sports reporter {{given name Greek ...

(Φίλιππος) #Philoctetes (Φιλοκτήτης) #Philon (Φίλων) #Phoebe (given name), Phoebe (Φοίβη) #Phyllis (Φυλλίς) #Pindar (Πίνδαρος) #Plato (Πλάτων) #Polemon (disambiguation), Polemon (Πολέμωνος) #Polybus (disambiguation), Polybus (Πόλυβος) #Polynices (Πολυνείκης) #Polybios (Πολύβιος) #Priam (Πρίαμος) #Ptolemy (name), Ptolemy (Πτολεμαῖος) #Pythagoras (Πυθαγόρας) #Pyrrhus (disambiguation), Pyrrhus (Πύρρος) #Rhea (mythology), Rhea (Ῥέα) #Selene (Σελήνη) #Seleucus (disambiguation), Seleucus (Σέλευκος) #Simonides (Σιμωνίδης) #Socrates (Σωκράτης) #Sofia (given name), Sofia (Σοφία) #Solon (Σόλων) #Sophocles (Σοφοκλῆς) #Strato (disambiguation), Strato (Στράτων) #Talthybius (Ταλθύβιος) #Telemachus (Τηλέμαχος) #Tethys (disambiguation), Tethys (Τηθύς) #Thaleia (Θάλεια) #Theano (Θεανώ) #Thekla (disambiguation), Thekla (Θέκλα) #Themistocles (Θεμιστοκλῆς) #Theodore (name), Theodoros (Θεόδωρος) #Theophrastus (Θεόφραστος) #Theseus (Θησεύς) #Thestor (Θέστωρ) #Thetis (Θέτις) #Thraso (Θράσων) #Thrasybulus (Θρασύβουλος) #Thrasymachus (Θρασύμαχος) #Thucydides (Θουκυδίδης) #Urania (Οὐρανία) #Uranus (mythology), Uranus (Οὐρανός) #Xanthippe (Ξανθίππη) #Xenocrates (Ξενοκράτης) #Xenophon (Ξενοφῶν) #Zeno (disambiguation), Zeno (Ζήνων)

Biblical and Christian names

#Katherine (given name), Aikaterine (Αἰκατερίνη) #Alexius, Alexios (Ἀλέξιος) #Anania (name), Ananias (Ἀνανίας) #Anastasius (disambiguation), Anastasios (Ἀναστάσιος) #Andrew, Andreas (Ἀνδρέας) #Angelos (Άγγελος) #Anna (given name), Anna (Ἄννα) #Anthimus (disambiguation), Anthimos (Ἄνθιμος) #Anthony (given name), Antonios (Ἀντώνιος) #Athanasius, Athanasios (Ἀθανάσιος) #Barbara (given name), Barbara (Βαρβάρα) #Bartholomew (name), Bartholomaios (Βαρθολομαῖος) #Basil (name), Vassileios/Vassilios (Βασίλειος) #

(Καλλιόπη) #Charalambos (Χαράλαμπος) #Christian (given name), Christianos (Χριστιανός) #Christina (given name), Christina (Χριστίνα) #Christoforos (Χριστόφορος) #Christos (given name), Christos (Χρίστος) #Damian (given name), Damianos (Δαμιανός) #Daniel (biblical figure), Daniel (Δανιήλ) #David (name), David (Δαβίδ) #Demetrius, Dimitrios (Δημήτριος) # Despina (Δέσποινα) #Dioscoros (disambiguation), Dioscoros (Διόσκουρος) #Dorothy (given name), Dorothea (Δωροθέα) #Eleutherius (disambiguation), Eleutherius (Ελευθέριος) #Eleni (given name), Eleni (Ἑλένη) #Elijah, Elias (Ἠλίας) #Elizabeth (biblical figure), Elizabeth (Ἐλισάβετ) #Emanuel (name), Emmanouil (Εμμανουήλ) #Erastus (disambiguation), Erastus (Ἔραστος) #Eudoxia (name), Eudocia (Εὐδοκία) #Eugenia (name), Evgenia (Εὐγενία) #Eusebius (disambiguation), Eusebius (Εὐσέβιος) #Eva (name), Eva (Εύα) #Evangelos (given name), Evangelos (Εὐάγγελος) #Gabriel (Γαβριήλ) #George (given name), Georgios (Γεώργιος) #Gregory (given name), Grigorios (Γρηγόριος) #

(Εἰρήνη) #Isaac (name), Isaakios (Ισαάκιος) #Isaiah, Isaias (Ἠσαΐας) #James (name), Iakovos (Ἰάκωβος) #Jeremiah, Ieremias (Ἱερεμίας) #Joachim (Ἰωακείμ) #John (first name), Ioannis (Ἰωάννης) #Jonah (Ἰωνᾶς) #Joseph (name), Joseph (Ἰωσήφ) #Julia (given name), Ioulia (Ιουλία) #Constantine (name), Konstantinos (Κωνσταντῖνος) #Cyril, Kyrillos (Κύριλλος) #Lawrence (given name), Lavrentios (Λαυρέντιος) #Lazarus (name), Lazarus (Λάζαρος) #Leo (given name), Leo (Λέων) #Loukas (Λουκᾶς) #Lucy (given name), Loukia (Λουκία) #Lydia (name), Lydia (Λυδία) #Magdalene (given name), Magdalene (Μαγδαληνή) #Margaret (name), Margarita (Μαργαρίτα) #Mary (given name), Maria (Μαρία) #Mark (given name), Markos (Μάρκος) #Martha (given name), Martha (Μάρθα) #Matthew (name), Matthaios (Ματθαῖος) #Michael (given name), Michael (Μιχαήλ/Μιχάλης) #Moses (Μωϋσῆς) #Nectarius (disambiguation), Nectarius (Νεκτάριος) # Nicanor (Nικάνωρ) #Nicodemus (Νικόδημος) #Nicolas (given name), Nicolaos (Νικόλαος) #Niketas (disambiguation), Niketas (Νικήτας) #Nikephoros (disambiguation), Nikephoros (Νικηφόρος) #Panagiotis, Panayiotis (Παναγιώτης) #Pantelis (disambiguation), Panteleimon/Pantelis (Παντελεήμων) #Paul the Apostle, Pavlos (Παῦλος) #Peter (name), Petros (Πέτρος) #Philemon (given name), Philemon (Φιλήμων) #Procopius (disambiguation), Procopios (Προκόπιος) #Raphael (Ραφαήλ) #Robert, Rovértos (Ροβέρτος) #Sabbas (disambiguation), Savvas (Σάββας) #Sakellarios (surname), Sakellarios (Σακελλαριος) #Sarah (given name), Sarah (Σάρα) #Serge (given name), Sergios (Σέργιος) #Silas (Σίλας) #Simeon (disambiguation), Simeon (Συμεών) #Solomon (Σολομών) #Sophia (name), Sofia (Σοφία) #Spyridon (disambiguation), Spyridon (Σπυρίδων) #Staurakios (Σταυράκιος) #Stavros (disambiguation), Stavros (Σταῦρος) #Stephen, Stefanos (Στέφανος) #Stylianos (Στυλιανός/Στέλιος) #Thaddeus (Θαδδαῖος) #Theophilus (disambiguation), Theofilos (Θεόφιλος) #Thomas (name), Thomas (Θωμάς) #Timothy (name), Timotheos (Τιμόθεος) #Zechariah (priest), Zacharias (Ζαχαρίας) #Zoe (name), Zoe (Ζωή)

Examples of family names

Common prefixes

* ''Archi-'': meaning "superior" or "boss". * ''Chondro-'': meaning "fat". * ''Gero-'': meaning "old" or "wise". * ''hajji, Hadji-'': the Arabic honorific for one who has made the Hadj or pilgrimage, used in the case of Christians for a voyage to Jerusalem, for example "Vassilis Hatzipanagis, Hatzipanagis". * ''Kara-'': from the Turkish word for "black", for example "Dimitrios Karatasos, Karatasos". * ''Konto-'': meaning "short". * ''Makro-'': meaning "tall" or "long". * ''Mastro-'': meaning "artisan" or "workman". * ''Palaio-'': meaning "old" or "wise". * ''Papa-'': indicating descent from a ''papas'', a priest. So ''Lambros Papakostas, Papakostas'' is the "son of Kostas, the priest".

Common suffixes

* -akis (-άκης): associated primarily with

(except Anogeia) and the Aegean Islands, it is a diminutive, such as Giorgos becoming ''Giorgakis'' for the ''young Giorgos''. Examples are: "Konstantinos Mitsotakis, Mitsotakis", "Mikis Theodorakis, Theodorakis" and "Olympia Dukakis, Doukakis".This suffix was also very common for Cretan Turks up until they were officially changed with the Surname Law. This suffix was introduced in the 19th century. * -akos (-ᾶκος): mainly from Laconia, particularly among Maniots from the Laconian part of the Mani peninsula.' Examples are: "Stavros Xarhakos, Xarhakos" and "Sotiris Kyrgiakos, Kyrgiakos". * -oulis (-ούλης): mainly from Thessalia, it is a diminutive, which is also used as a diminutive for place names in the region such as Giannouli and Damasouli .' Examples are: "Alexis Georgoulis, Georgoulis" and "Kostas Giannoulis, Giannoulis". * -as (-ᾶς): from Macedonia (Greece), Macedonia and the Epirus. Examples are: "Pavlos Melas, Melas", "Pyrros Dimas, Dimas", "Alexis Zorbas, Zorbas", "Lekkas", "Moustakas" and "Zappas". However, the surname Doukas, ''Dukas'' or ''Doukas'' derives from the Latin title ''dux'' or ''duke''. * -atos (-ᾶτος): (from Cephalonia), of Venetian language, Venetian derivation.''Il Corriere della Sera'' (Sept 15, 2006)
L'Italia è il regno dei cognomi

La provenienza geografica dei cognomi
/ref> Examples are: "Grigoris Georgatos, Georgatos", "George Pan Cosmatos, Cosmatos" and "Andrew Manatos, Manatos". * -eas (-εας): mainly among Maniots from the Messenian part of the Mani peninsula. Examples are: "Elias Koteas, Koteas", "Nikolaos Georgeas, Georgeas" and "Angelos Charisteas, Charisteas". * -elis (-έλης) and -ilis (-ιλής): from the Turkish suffixes for agent, possession and origin, common in western Asia Minor, Mytiline, Lemnos and Imbros. Examples are: Myrsilis, Katselis, Papadelis, Manelis. * -allis (-άλλης) and -ellis (-έλλης): both found especially in the Dodecanese, mainly

. Examples are "Nick Gallis, Georgallis" and "Maria Kanellis, Kanellis". * -idis or -ides and or (-ίδης/-ιάδης): meaning 'son of' or 'descendant of'. The suffix -idis (often transliterated -ides in English and French) is the oldest in use. Zeus, for example, was also referred to as Cronides ("son of Cronus"). ''-idis'' was the most common suffix in Byzantium, Bithynia and Byzantine Thrace, being also used by Pontic Greeks and Caucasus Greeks in the Pontic Alps, northeast Anatolia, Georgia (country), Georgia, the former Kars Oblast, and sometimes in Epirus,

and some Aegean islands. Examples include: "James Stavridis, Stavridis", "Anthony Koutoufides, Koutoufides", "Phil Angelides, Angelidis", "Nikos Sampson, Georgiadis". * -lis (-λής). Turkish suffix for "of" a place, like the Greek suffixes -tis and -otis. Examples are: "Kostas Karamanlis, Karamanlis" and "Dionysios Kasdaglis, Kasdaglis". * -opoulos (-όπουλος): meaning "descendant of", originated from the Peloponnese but has become very widespread. Examples are: "Nikitaras, Stamatelopoulos", "Tassos Papadopoulos, Papadopoulos", "Jim Gianopoulos, Gianopoulos", "Spiro Agnew, Anagnostopoulos" and "Taki Theodoracopulos, Theodorakopoulos". It can also indicate ethnic origin, such as ''Frangopoulos'' (Φραγκόπουλος) meaning "son of a Frank", ''Persopoulos'' (Περσόπουλος) meaning "son of a Persian", ''Servopoulos'' (Σερβόπουλος) meaning "son of a Serb" and ''Voulgaropoulos'' (Βουλγαρόπουλος) meaning "son of a Bulgarian". * -oglou (-όγλου): from the Turkish ''-oğlu'' meaning "son of", seen in families from

. Examples are: "Georgios Tsolakoglou, Tsolakoglou", "Christos Ardizoglou, Ardizoglou" and "Patsatzoglou". * -ou (-ου): a genitive mainly from

. Examples are: "Grigoris Afxentiou, Afxentiou", "George Economou (poet), Economou", "Michalis Konstantinou, Konstantinou", "Constantinos Christoforou, Christoforou" and "George Gregoriou, Gregoriou". * -tis, -otis (-της, -ώτης): meaning "of" a place. Examples are "Nikolaos Politis, Politis" from polis (''city'') and "Dionisis Chiotis, Chiotis" from

. * (-τζής, -τσής) and feminine (-τζή, -τσή): Turkish suffix to signify a profession, like the English ''-er'' in ''Baker'' or ''Butcher''. Examples are: "Hrisopiyi Devetzi, Devetzi" and "Stavros Kouyioumtzis, Kouyioumtzis".

References

External links

Lexicon of Greek Personal Names
a Major Research Project of the British Academy, Oxford, contains over 35,000 published Greek names up to the 6th century.