100 Cool Greek Last Names
In fact, the history and tradition of Greek surnames are so rich that almost every name carries with it centuries of culture, mythology, and family heritage in one single surname.
Many Greek surnames are related to the ancient past of the country, showing occupation, geographical location, or important familial connections.
Examples of such names are “Papadopoulos,” meaning son of a priest, and “Nikolaidis,” meaning son of Nikolaos, which denote the importance of family lineage, while “Kostas” and “Pavlopoulos” denote very strong connections with Greek history and the Orthodox faith.
Whether you are researching a heritage, writing a story, or are simply curious about what these exceptional names mean, this guide weaves together fascinating history in uncovering the meaning behind some popular Greek last names.
Greek Last Names
Papadopoulos – Means “son of a priest,” a common surname for families with a religious background.
Nikolaidis – Means “son of Nikolaos,” derived from the name “Nikolaos,” meaning “victory of the people.”
Pavlopoulos – Means “son of Pavlos,” with “Pavlos” being the Greek form of “Paul,” meaning “small” or “humble.”
Georgiou – Means “son of Georgios,” derived from “Georgios” meaning “farmer” or “earthworker.”
Kostas – A shortened form of “Konstantinos,” meaning “steadfast” or “constant.”
Vassilis – Derived from the name “Vasileios,” meaning “king” or “royal.”
Andreas – Derived from the name “Andreas,” meaning “manly” or “brave.”
Christodoulopoulos – Means “son of the servant of Christ,” reflecting religious devotion.
Makris – Means “tall” or “long,” likely referring to a tall person.
Antonopoulos – Means “son of Antonis,” derived from the name “Antonis,” meaning “priceless” or “invaluable.”
Lambropoulos – Means “son of Lambros,” derived from the name “Lambros,” meaning “bright” or “shining.”
Kouros – Means “young man,” often associated with strength and youth.
Sotiriou – Means “son of Sotiris,” with “Sotiris” meaning “savior” or “rescuer.”
Fotiadis – Means “son of Fotis,” derived from “Fotis,” meaning “light.”
Zervas – Likely derived from “zervos,” meaning “wild” or “untamed,” referring to a bold or rebellious person.
Katsaros – A surname meaning “handsome,” possibly a descriptive name for someone with a pleasing appearance.
Dimitriou – Means “son of Dimitrios,” derived from the name “Dimitrios,” meaning “follower of Demeter,” the goddess of agriculture.
Tsolakis – A surname that can be related to “tsolias,” a traditional Greek soldier.
Manousakis – A diminutive form of “Manousos,” a Greek given name meaning “brave” or “manly.”
Psaltis – Means “singer” or “chanting,” often referring to someone who was a church singer.
Kouris – Derived from the word “kouris,” meaning “youth” or “young man.”
Kokkinos – Means “red,” possibly referring to someone with red hair or a ruddy complexion.
Vlachos – Refers to a person of Vlach origin, an ethnic group living in Greece.
Roussos – Derived from “rosso,” meaning “red,” likely referring to someone with red hair or a reddish complexion.
Sarakatsanos – Refers to a member of the Sarakatsani ethnic group, known for their pastoral lifestyle.
Bouras – Likely derived from the word “bouras,” meaning “storm,” possibly referring to someone who was strong or unpredictable.
Kouveli – Derived from “kouveli,” meaning “a woman of beauty or grace.”
Stavropoulos – Means “son of Stavros,” with “Stavros” meaning “cross,” a Christian symbol.
Chatzis – A surname commonly found among people with a religious background, meaning “priest.”
Pappas – Means “priest,” reflecting the family’s religious connection.
Kontos – Derived from the word “kontos,” meaning “short,” possibly referring to someone of short stature.
Karagiannis – Means “son of a dark-haired or dark-skinned person,” derived from “kara” meaning “dark.”
Tzanis – Derived from “Tzan,” a diminutive of “Ioannis,” meaning “John.”
Hadjicosta – Refers to someone who went on a pilgrimage (Haji) to a sacred place, especially Mecca.
Nikolopoulos – Means “son of Nikolaos,” derived from “Nikolaos,” meaning “victory of the people.”
Chatzopoulos – Means “son of Chatzis,” referring to a family of priests.
Papanikolaou – Means “son of the priest Nikolaos,” reflecting the family’s religious background.
Mavromatis – Derived from “mavro,” meaning “black,” possibly referring to someone with a dark complexion or hair.
Karantonis – Derived from the word “karantonis,” meaning “brave” or “courageous.”
Giorgos – Derived from the name “George,” meaning “farmer” or “earthworker.”
Alexiou – Means “son of Alexios,” with “Alexios” meaning “helper” or “defender.”
Kouris – Derived from “kouris,” meaning “youth” or “young man,” often a name signifying strength.
Vrettos – Likely derived from the word “vrettos,” meaning “storm,” signifying someone strong and resolute.
Spyridopoulos – Means “son of Spyridon,” derived from “Spyridon,” meaning “spirit” or “soul.”
Chrysafides – Means “son of Chrysafis,” derived from “chryso,” meaning “gold,” signifying wealth or importance.
Politis – Derived from “politis,” meaning “citizen,” referring to someone from a particular city or community.
Trikoupis – Derived from “triko,” meaning “three,” possibly referring to a family connected with the number three in some way.
Sarafoglou – Derived from “saraf,” meaning “jewel,” indicating a wealthy or prestigious family.
Karamalakis – Likely a diminutive form of a name associated with “karamos,” meaning “brown” or “dark,” referring to someone with darker features.
Marinopoulos – Means “son of Marin,” with “Marin” coming from the Latin “Marinus,” meaning “of the sea.”
Athanasiou – Means “son of Athanasios,” with “Athanasios” meaning “immortal” or “eternal.”
Vasilakis – A diminutive of “Vasilis,” derived from the name “Vasileios,” meaning “king” or “royal.”
Karpouzis – Derived from “karpouzi,” meaning “watermelon,” possibly referring to someone who worked with or sold fruit.
Sideris – Derived from “sideros,” meaning “iron,” possibly referring to someone who worked with metal or had a strong personality.
Pyrros – Derived from “Pyrrhos,” meaning “flame-colored” or “red-haired.”
Kokkinidis – Derived from “kokkinos,” meaning “red,” likely referring to someone with red hair or a ruddy complexion.
Triantafyllou – Means “son of Triantafyllos,” with “Triantafyllos” meaning “three roses.”
Kotsakis – A diminutive of “Kotsis,” likely referring to a small or short person.
Tzoumas – Likely derived from a nickname or descriptive term for someone known for a particular trait or characteristic.
Anastasiou – Means “son of Anastasios,” with “Anastasios” meaning “resurrection.”
Nikolaou – Means “son of Nikolaos,” derived from the name “Nikolaos,” meaning “victory of the people.”
Fylladitakis – A surname derived from the word “fylla,” meaning “leaves,” possibly referring to someone living near trees or a forest.
Papageorgiou – Means “son of Georgios,” derived from “Georgios,” meaning “farmer” or “earthworker.”
Manolakos – A diminutive of “Manolas,” meaning “manly” or “brave.”
Pappas – Refers to a “priest,” reflecting the family’s religious background.
Batsakis – Derived from “batsos,” meaning “fool” or “simpleton,” possibly used as a nickname.
Kaliamos – Derived from “kali,” meaning “good” or “beautiful,” signifying a positive or pleasing nature.
Anastopoulos – Means “son of Anastasius,” with “Anastasius” meaning “resurrection” or “rebirth.”
Markopoulos – Means “son of Markos,” derived from “Markos,” meaning “male” or “manly.”
Arvanitis – Refers to someone of Albanian descent, indicating someone from the region of Arvanita in Greece.
Xenakis – Derived from “xenos,” meaning “stranger” or “foreign,” possibly referring to someone from a foreign land.
Sifakis – Derived from “sifi,” meaning “sword,” possibly referring to someone known for their swordsmanship.
Karas – Means “black,” likely referring to someone with dark hair or complexion.
Kostas – A diminutive of “Konstantinos,” meaning “steadfast” or “constant.”
Lazaris – Derived from the name “Lazaros,” meaning “God has helped.”
Chalikias – Likely derived from the word “chaliki,” meaning “brass” or “bronze,” possibly referring to someone who worked with metal.
Chrysopoulos – Means “son of Chryso,” derived from “chryso,” meaning “gold,” signifying wealth or importance.
Patriarchos – Refers to a “patriarch,” signifying a leader or elder of a family or community.
Kourkoulis – Likely a nickname for someone who worked in a profession related to “kourkoulis,” meaning “horn” or “tusk.”
Sarantis – Derived from “sarantos,” meaning “forty,” possibly referencing an important event or the number of family members.
Vrettakos – Derived from “vretos,” meaning “storm,” signifying someone strong or tempestuous.
Kontogiannis – Means “son of Kontos,” derived from the name “Kontos,” possibly meaning “short” or “small.”
Kallergis – Derived from “kallistos,” meaning “most beautiful,” possibly referring to an admired person.
Papadakis – A diminutive of “Papadopoulos,” meaning “son of a priest.”
Daskalakis – A diminutive of “Daskalos,” meaning “teacher,” referring to someone involved in education.
Kalogerakis – Means “little monk,” likely referring to someone who took religious vows or lived a monk-like life.
Psarros – Means “fisherman,” referring to someone who made a living from fishing.
Zorbas – A famous surname meaning “strong” or “forceful,” often associated with the famous “Zorba the Greek.”
Giorgakis – A diminutive form of “Giorgos,” meaning “farmer” or “earthworker.”
Vladimirov – Of Slavic origin, this surname means “son of Vladimir,” meaning “ruler of the world.”
Roussos – Derived from “rosso,” meaning “red,” possibly referring to someone with red hair or complexion.
Petrakis – A diminutive of “Petros,” meaning “rock” or “stone.”
Stamatis – Derived from the name “Stamatios,” meaning “to stop” or “to stand firm.”
Zacharias – Derived from the Hebrew name “Zacharias,” meaning “God remembers.”
Mavrommatis – Derived from “mavro,” meaning “black,” possibly referring to someone with dark features.
Petropoulos – Means “son of Petros,” with “Petros” meaning “rock” or “stone.”
Chrysafidis – Derived from “chryso,” meaning “gold,” signifying wealth or a golden personality.
Giannopoulos – Means “son of Giannis,” derived from the name “Giannis,” meaning “God is gracious.”
Kalamidas – Derived from “kalamida,” meaning “reed” or “rush,” possibly referring to someone living near a river or swamp.
Zachopoulos – Means “son of Zacharias,” with “Zacharias” meaning “God remembers.”
