100 Powerful Greek Last Names: With Cool Meanings

Updated
These strong Greek last names are full of mighty meanings!

Have you ever seen some impressive Greek last names and wondered what they could mean? Or you have a Greek family name yourself and have always wondered where it originated.

We’re here to share some of the most common, popular, and best-recognized Greek surnames and enlighten you on their true meanings and origins. From the modern to the mythological, and everything in the middle, all these names are full of Mediterranean might and magic. So, grab your passports, and let’s explore them all!


100 Glorious Greek Last Names

Discover the unique meanings behind these Greek last names for mighty, mythical, Mediterranean girls and boys.

  1. Adamos – means “son of Adam,” after the classic, biblical Hebrew male name.
  2. Aeotos – for high-flyers, this powerful name meaning “eagle” hits the mark.
  3. Agathangelou – a Greek Cypriot surname associated with Agathangelos, after various ancient figures and bringers of “good news.”
  4. Andino – a hot surname, said to mean “manly.”
  5. Angelopoulos – a heavenly name for a beautiful “son of Angelos.”
  6. Angelos – a Greek male name, also used as a surname meaning “angel, messenger of God.”
  7. Antoniou – a confident patronymic name for a “son of Antonios,” also seen as Antoniou or Antonis.
  8. Argyris – a gorgeous name, valuable to behold, meaning “silver.”
  9. Ariti – a “friendly” name that reminds us of the ancient Greek concept of Arete, meaning “excellence, virtue.”
  10. Artino – a sleek-sounding surname for someone from the city of Arta.
  11. Athanasiou – an “immortal” choice among everlasting Greek family names.
  12. Bakirtzis – a smart, occupational surname with Greek and Turkish roots, meaning “coppersmith.”
  13. Calimeris – the most lovely of names, derived from the phrase “Kalimera,” meaning “Good Morning!”
  14. Castellanos – is very similar to a Spanish surname but means “castle, fort” as a Greek option.
  15. Chloros – a vivid color option, meaning green.
  16. Christodoulopoulos – a spiritual choice for a “child of the servant of Christ.”
  17. Cirillo – meaning “lordly, masterful,” sounding as though it was destined for a wise old man!
  18. Condos – not a type of apartment, but rather a Greek surname meaning “short.”
  19. Danielopoulos – a lovely, masculine surname for a “son of Daniel.”
  20. Diakos – a famous name with the honorable meaning of “deacon.”
  21. Diamandis – a glittering entry among Greek surnames, meaning “diamonds.”
  22. Dimas – a saintly surname after a biblical figure with Greek, Spanish, and Portuguese influences.
  23. Dimitriou – a patronymic for a “son of Demetrios,” rooted in that of the Greek goddess Demeter.
  24. Dimopoulos – another common entry among Greek family names, meaning “son of the people” or “son of Dimos.”
  25. Dougenis – a less-flattering name, perhaps born by a “servant.”
  26. Drakos – this “dragon” surname will delight magic and mythology fans.
  27. Economou – a common surname meaning “housekeeper, steward.”
  28. Evangelatos – a rare yet beautiful surname with religious connotations.
  29. Filo – like the pastry, this shorter Greek surname is a form of Filip, meaning “lover of horses.”
  30. Floros – it may sound flowery, but this name holds the bird-inspired meaning of “greenfinch.”
  31. Fotos – or Fotopoulos, a snappy-sounding name for a family full of “light.”
  32. Frangos – or Frankos, both traditionally used to refer to a Western European person or “Frank.”
  33. Galanis – for a family with eyes as blue as the Mediterranean, this surname means “azure.”
  34. Galatas – meaning “milk-seller,” a sweet name for a dairy family.
  35. Gavriilidis – with a tough spelling, this standout surname has the same stem as the Hebrew Gabriel.
  36. Georgiadis – or Georgiou, meaning “son or kin of George, Georgios.”
  37. Giannopoulos – for a “son of Giannis,” a more-modern Greek form of John.
  38. Grammatikopoulos – a rare, yet incredibly long, Greek surname, said to mean “secretary.”
  39. Hasapis – a less-common surname with the occupational meaning of “butcher.”
  40. Ioannidis – a common patronymic name for a “son of Ioannis,” a Greek variant of John.
  41. Iordanou – symbolic of the Jordan River, this Hebrew-rooted Greek name means “to descend.”
  42. Iraklidis – meaning “son of Herakles,” this name is full of the strength of the gods!
  43. Kallis – the “most beautiful” name, reminding us of the gorgeous mythological nymph Kallisto.
  44. Kalogeropoulos – making a change from all the “Papa-” Greek names, this means “son of a monk.”
  45. Karagiannis – Giannis is a Greek form of John, while the Turkish-rooted prefix “Kara-” means “dark.”
  46. Katsaros – sweet and bubbly, this surname would suit a “curly-haired” clan.
  47. Kokkinos – this undeniably fun surname means “red,” as if for a red-headed family.
  48. Konstantinidis – another strong patronymic Greek surname, meaning “son of Konstantinos.”
  49. Kontos – this name may mean “short,” but it only has the biggest, brightest vibes to live up to!
  50. Kouris – a topographic surname for a forest-dwelling family.
  51. Lagoudakis – a cutie-pie, animal-inspired surname meaning “bunny” or perhaps “hare.”
  52. Leos – like the international surnames Lyon or Leon, this roar-some name means “lion.”
  53. Loverdos – an uncommon surname of unknown meaning, yet with the most romantic appeal in spelling.
  54. Lykaios – a surname to have you howling at the moon, meaning “wolf, wolflike.”
  55. Makedonas – a cool name if you’re Macedonian, full of Mediterranean beauty.
  56. Makris – a tall family would suit this common surname, meaning “long.”
  57. Markopoulos – for a “son of Mark,” rooted in the name of the frightful Greek god Mars.
  58. Matthiou – a soft and handsome surname for a “son of Matthias” or “Matthew.”
  59. Megalos – sounds fit for superheroes; Megalos might be the “greatest” of Greek last names meaning “big.”
  60. Metaxas – used for a family that works with “silk,” perhaps trading it or breeding silkworms.
  61. Moustakas – you’d need a “mustache” to live up to this Greek last name!
  62. Mylonas – an occupational Greek name for a “miller,” with Mylona being the female genitive form.
  63. Nanos – an unusual option derived from a term meaning “dwarf.”
  64. Nephus – a surname rich in religion and mythology, destined for a child on the path to greatness.
  65. Nikolaou – a common Cypriot surname for champions, meaning “victor of the people.”
  66. Oikonomou – a variant of Economou, meaning “housekeeper, steward,” yet with a cool, stand-out spelling.
  67. Onasis – a unique surname with the romantic meaning of “lover.”
  68. Pagonis – meaning “peacock,” this name is best suited to a vain sort of family.
  69. Panagiotopoulos – an “all-holy” choice among spiritual Greek family names for a “son of Panagiotis.”
  70. Pantazis – this surname is like a wish bestowed upon a family who wants to “live forever.”
  71. Papachristodoulopoulos – a religious, priestly pick, perhaps one of the longest Greek last names.
  72. Papadakis – meaning “son of the priest,” with the “-akis” suffix usually denoting a Crete-originating surname.
  73. Papadimitriou – means “son of Father Dimitrios,” a handsome, priestly name.
  74. Papadopoulos – the most commonly heard among Greek last names, Papadopoulos also means “son of the priest.”
  75. Papageorgiou – meaning “son of Father George,” combining a patronymic with the priestly “Papa-” and the male name Giorgios.
  76. Papamichael – another “Papa-” prefixed name for a “son of Father Michael.”
  77. Papanikolaou – another priestly patronymic name, meaning “son of Father Nikolaos.”
  78. Papoutsis – an honest, charming occupational name for a “shoemaker.”
  79. Pappas – the Greek for “priest” makes a humble, spiritual surname.
  80. Persopoulos – a Greek surname given to those of Persian descent.
  81. Psomas – this Greek surname is traditionally given to a “baker” or their descendants.
  82. Raptis – like the English surname Taylor, this occupational name means “tailor.”
  83. Samaras – a pretty, almost exotic-sounding entry among Greek last names, used to denote a “saddler, saddle-maker.”
  84. Sideras – a tough surname meaning “smith,” great for a hard-working family.
  85. Socrates – a rare surname, yet one famously associated with the significant Greek moral philosopher.
  86. Spanos – for West-Coast sports fans, this name notably belongs to the Greek American owners of the San Diego Chargers.
  87. Sparta – or Spartalis, perhaps great options for Spartan families.
  88. Stamos – a popular celebrity surname of Greek origin, perhaps meaning “stop.”
  89. Stassinopoulos – a sassy-sounding name belonging to Arianna Huffington, the Greek American co-founder of The Huffington Post.
  90. Stavros – from the Greek given name, this references the significant cross of Christ.
  91. Stefanidis – for a “son of Stefanos,” also spelled Stephanidis.
  92. Stephanopoulos – another well-recognized surname for a “son of Stephan.”
  93. Taskasaplidis – a strong entry believed to have derived from an area in Turkiye.
  94. Teresi – a Greek and Italian surname, uniquely formed as a metronymic name from the female Teresa.
  95. Theodoropoulos – another long name, for a “son of Theodore,” meaning “gift of God.”
  96. Tsitak means “king” or “god,” so only the most royal of families can bear this moniker!
  97. Vasiliou – or Vasiliadis, meaning “son of Vasilios,” from the same stem as the more-modern Basil.
  98. Vlahos – meaning “Vlach,” after an old, now-derogatory term for Balkan and Eastern Romance language speakers.
  99. Vouvali – meaning “buffalo,” this surname is both beastly and meaty.
  100. Xanthopoulos – a cool surname with a stylish initial, meaning “son of Xanthos,” with Xanthos meaning “yellow, golden.”

Greek Last Names FAQs

What are Some Common Greek Last Names?

Papadopoulos is the most common Greek surname. Names such as Georgiou, Pappas, Nikolau, Dimitriou, Karagiannis, and Ioannidis are also commonly-heard picks.

How Do Greek Surnames Work?

In modern-day Greece, naming culture usually consists of a given name followed by a family name. Like in English, these Greek family names also come from occupations, places, characteristics, or patronymics.

It’s worth noting that ancient Greeks usually had a single name, which is why the great gladiators, philosophers, and Spartans of long ago didn’t have surnames.

Are Greek Surnames All Long?

It’s true that a lot of Greek surnames are long, with standout names such as Grammatikopoulos, Christodoulopoulos, and Panagiotopoulos in this list. Papachristodoulopoulos is an especially long name! However, there are also many shorter surnames, with familiar options such as Stamos, Pappas, Floros, Vlahos, and even Filo, all rooted in Greek.

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About the Author

Madeleine Lily Webb

Madeleine is a writer from somewhere near Manchester, England. Madeleine's background in languages and linguistics has led to baby names becoming one of her favorite topics to write about. When she's not fallen down a rabbit hole of stories behind unique names, Madeleine can be found hanging out with her cat, taking photos of flowers, or dancing.