Writing Adolescent Fiction/Character names/Greek

Usage note In Greece and Cyprus, men and women often use different forms of the same surname. Generally, surnames ending in -s in the male form (Catranides, Xenakis, Speliopoulos) drop the -s in the female form in favor of -ou (Cantranidou, Xenakou, Speliopoulou). Names ending in -as, such as Pappas or Sakkas, would be the exception (instead merely dropping the s). If you ever find yourself confused on grammar, despite having researched, not to worry- your Greek-American character will likely have a masculine or anglicized form of the surname anyway. As far as first names go, there’s a bit more leeway. Most names can be transcribed multiple ways, so if you like the meaning but not the spelling, it’s slightly adaptable. As an example, take the name Ευδοκία, meaning “she whose deeds are good”. This can be written in the Latin alphabet as either Evdokia, Eudokia, Evdoxia, Eudoxia, Efdokia, or Efdoxia. The same goes for many male names (Dimitrios, Demetrius, or Demitrios; Georgios, George, Yiorgos, or Yorgos; etc.). In addition, all of these leave room for a variety of colorful nicknames! Girls' names Acacia Acantha Adonia Adora Aeola Afroditi Agalia Agathe Agathi Aikaterine Aikaterini Akilina Alala Aldora Aleka Aleki Aleni Alesia Alethea Alexandra Alexandria Alexi Alexine Alexis Alexxa Althaia Amara Ambrosia Ana Anastacia Anastasia Anatolia Andriana Andromeda Andromede Androniki Androula Anemone Angela Angele Angelee Angeliki Anna Annagletha Anthaia Anthoula Anthy Antigone Antonia Aphrodite Argiro Ariadne (Ariana) Aristea Artemis Artemisia Aspasia Atalante Athanasia Athena Athenagora Athina Barbara Basiliki Calandra Calantha Calista Calla Cassa Cassandra Cassia Charis Charissa Chloe Chloris Chrisoula Chrissitha Christiane Christina Christine Chrysanthe Chryseis Chryssi Clematia Cleopatra Clio Costandina Cressida Cyma Cynara Damara Damaris Danae Deianira Delia Demetra Demitria Denise Despina Diana Diantha Dido Dimitra Dionisia Dominica (Domna) Dorkas Drusilla (Dru) Effrossini (Effie) Effrosyni (Effie) Efpraxia Efthimia Eftimia Eirene Ekaterine Ekaterini Eleftheria Eleftheriani Elektra Elena Eleni Elewteria Elewtheria Elina Elisa Emalia Ereini Erene Erianthe Eudocia Eudora Eudoxia Eugenia Euphemia Euphrosyne Evaggelia Evanthia Evdokia (Evi) Evgenia (Evi) Eyaggelia Filanthi Fotini Gaea Galatea Georgia Gioulli Halcyone Helen Helena Helia Hera Hlois Ianthe Ilektra Iliana Ioanna Iona Iphigenia Irene Irini Iris Isaura Junia Juno Kali Kaliopi Kalliope Kalyca Katerine Katina Khloe Konstanta Konstantina Kore Koren Kynthia Kyriaki Lamprini Lexi Lida Lilika Lugaretzia Lydia Maia Margarites Maria Marianthi Marina Maroula Medora Melaina Melanie Melantha Melina Melissa Melpomeni Metaxia Miranta Myropi Nafsika Nana Neona Nerissa Niki Nikola Nitsa Odessa Olympia Ophelia Ourania Pamfilia Panagiota Pannayita Paraskevi Pareskevi Parthenia Paulina Phaedra Phaidra Phedra Philana Philippa Philomela Phoebe Phyllis Rena Rhea Rodanthi Salome Selene Sia Smaragda Smaragdi Sofia Sophia Sotiria Soula Stamata Stavroula Stefania Styliani Tassia Tassula Tattiana Tekla Thalassa Thaleia Thalia Thania Tharsia Thekla Theodora Theodosia Theodosoulla Theone Theophano Theresa Tia Timothea Tina Toula Vanessa (Nessa) Vasiliki Vasiliky Vassiliki Xanthe Xanthippe Xantippe Xena Xenia Xristina (pronounced "Christina") Xylia Yana Yiannoula Yvonni Zacharenia Zelia Zenaida Zenobia Zoe Zoi Boys' names Achilleas Achilles Adamantios Adonis Agapios Agias Aiakos Aineias Aiolos Aleda (Lida) Alekos Aleksiu Alexander Alexandros Alexios Alexis Alexiou Ambrosios Anakletos Anastasios Anastassios Andonios Andreas Andreou [Andrew] Andros Angelo Angelos Aniketos Anninos Antonios (Tonios) Antonis [Anthony] Apostolis Apostolos Argyros Ari Arion Aris Aristides Aristotelis Arsenios Athan Athanasios Athanassios Athones Augustinos [Augustine] Bikos Boreas Carolos Charalambos Charalampos Charilaos Christodoulos Christoforos Christos Chrysostomos Cletus Constandinos (Costas) Constantine (Costas) [Gus] Constantinos (Costas) [Gus] Cosmo Costa Costas Crist Damianos Demetri Demetrios Demetris Demosthenes (Demos) Dighenis Dimitri Dimitrios Dimitris Dino Dion Dionysios [Dennis] Dionyssios [Dennis] Dmitris Doxiadis Drymiotes Efstathios Efstratios Efthimios Eleftherios Eleni Elias Emmanouil Emmanuel Emmanuil Epameinondas Epaminondas Euaggelos Evagelos Evangelos Evenios Evis Evripides Fanos Fotis George Georges Georghios (Geo) Georgios Gerasimos Giannis Giatas Giorgos Glafkos Gondikas Gregorios (Greg) Grigorios (Greg) Grigoris Gustas Halu Haralambos Harrys Herakles Hermes Hippocrates Hristos Iacovos Iakovos Iannis Iason Ignatios Ilias Ioannes (Yiannis) [John] Ioannis (Yiannis) [John] Isaakios Kalinikos Kharilaos Kimon Kleanthe Koinos Konstandinos (Kostas, Kosti) Konstantinos (Kostas, Kosti) Kosmas Kosta Kostantinos (Kostas, Kosti) Kostas Kris Kristion Kymon Kypros Kyriacos Kyriakos Lambro Lambros Laurentios Lazaros Leandros Lefteris Leo Leonidas Leontios Loukas Loukianos Makarios Makis Manolis Manos Marinos Marios Marko Markos Martinos Matthaios Maximos Metrophanes Michail Michalis [Makis] (Mike) Milos Miltiades Miltos Moris Myron Nathanael Nektarios Neophytos Nickolas Nico Nicolaon Nicolas (Nicos, Nick) Nikodemos Nikolaos (Nikos, Nick) Odysseas Odysseus Orestis Orion Othon Panagiote Panagiotis Panayiotis Panayotis Panicos Panos Pantelis Paulos Pavlos [Paul] Pericles Periklis Petros (Petri) Philippos [Philip] Photios Platon Polyvios Prokopios Rhigas Romanos Samaras Savas Savvas Sebastianos Sergios Silvanos Simos Skyros Socrates Solon Sophocles Sotirios Sotiris Spiridon (Spiros) Spiro Spyridon (Spyros) Spyros Stamatis Stathis Stavros Stefanos [Steve] Stelios Stephanos [Steve] Sterghios Stratis Stratos Stylianos Tasos Tassos Tataki (Taki, Takis) Thaddaios Thanasios Thanasis Thanos Themestoclis Theodore Theodoros Theodosios Theofanis Theologos Theophanis Thrasyvoulos Timotheos Titos Tzannas Vaggelis Valerios Vangelis Vardis Vasileios Vasilios Vasilis Vassilios (Vassos) Vassilis Xenophon Yannas Yanni Yannis Yiannis Yiannos Yiorgos Yioryios Zacharias Zaharias Zenon Zeus Surnames Top 2 in the United States Pappas Poulos Top 10 in Greece Papadopoulos Vlahos Angelopoulos Nikolaidis Georgiou Petridis Athanasiadis Dimitriadis Papadakis Panagiotopoulos Others Adamidis Adamis Adamopoulos Aesopos Agapitos Agelakos Aggelis Agnes Agnos Aivaliotis Alexakis Alexandropoulos Alexiou Alexis Alexopoulos Alexopoulou Aliferis Anagnostopoulos Anagnostopoulou Anagnostou Anagyrou Anastasiadis Anastasiou Anastasopoulos Anastos Andreadis Andreou Andreoulakis Andris Andronis Andropoulos Andros Androutsos Andrulis Angavanakis Angelis Angelopoulos Angelos Aniston Anistonopoulos Anninos Anthis Antimisiaris Antipas Antoniades Antoniadis Antoniou Antonopoulos Antonopoulou Antos Apostle Apostol Apostolides Apostolidis Apostolopoulos Apostolos Apostolou Apsouris Argires Argiris Argitakos Argos Argyra Argyropoulos Arvanitis Asikis Athan Athanas Athanasiou Athanasopoulos Athanasopoulou Athanassiadi Athans Athens Atsidakos Avgerinos Avramidis Axelos Axios Azios Bakirdzis Balafoutis Balezos Balouris Bandaloukas Barraboutis Batsakis Beldekas Bonazountas Bordovalos Botsaris Boukalis Bourekas Bourganu Bourikas Boutaris Bouzalis Bouzios Brettos Brisimitzakis Callas Calogerakis Camarinos Cangelaris Cantakis Cappas Caras Carides Carpanos Catranides Catsanos Chagares Chakiris Chatzis Chris Chrissochoidis Christakis Christakos Christides Christodolou Christodoulacos Christodoulou Christofis Christopoulos Christopoulou Christos Christou Chronis Chrysanthopoulos Colakides Conetas Constandouros Constantine Constantinos Contopoulos Contos Contoyannopoulos Cosmatos Cosmetatos Costas Cotsadis Cotzias Coutros Dalianis Damaskinos Danas Dasios Daskalakis Deligiannis Deligiorgis Delivorias Demakis Demas Demataki Demertzis Demetriou Demetrious Demopoulos Demos Diakogeorgiou Diakoumis Diamantidis Diamantis Diamantopoulos Diasakos Dimakakos Dimas Dimitrakopoulos Dimitrakos Dimitras Dimitri Dimitrion Dimitriou Dimitris Dimitropoulos Dimopoulos Dimopoulou Dimou Dimoulakis Dioletis Dionisopoulos Diplarakos Dokos Dontas Doucas Doukas Doukatelis Dounias Douros Doxiadis Drakopoulos Dreliozis Dritsas Drivakis Drossos Dukakis Economides Economopoulos Economou Efstathiou Eleftheriadis Eleftherios Eleftheriou Eliades Eliopoulos Elipandas Evriviades Fafalios Farakos Farmakis Fikaras Fikias Fikioris Fikri Filippou Filis Fitrakis Fitzios Flessas Florakis Floros Flytzanis Forakis Foros Fotiadis Fotinopoulos Fotopoulos Fotos Fourakis Fragouli Frangopoulos Frangos Gagari Gaitanis Gakidis Galanis Galanopoulos Galitsis Gatchis Gatchopoulos Gatsioudis Gatzioudis Gavras Gavril Gavrilopoulos Gazis Gazonas Geanekos Georgakis Georgakopoulos Georganas Georganis Georgas George Georgeakopoulos Georgenes Georghiou Georgiades Georgiadi Georgiadis Georgiadou Georgiopoulou Georgopoulos Georgopoulou Georgousopoulos Gerasimopoulos Ghertsos Gianakis Gianakopoulos Gianaras Giangos Giannacopulos Giannakakos Giannakis Giannakopoulos Giannakopoulou Giannakos Giannaros Giannelis Giannidis Giannioglou Giannopoulos Giannopoulou Gianopoulos Gianoutsos Gidakos Giorgiou Giougis Giouzelis Gizikis Gkatzoulis Glezos Glynatsis Gogos Gomatos Gonce Gondicas Gonidakis Gounaris Grammatakakis Gravari Gregoriou Gretes Grigoriadis Grivas Hadiaris Hadjiyianakies Hadzilacos Hagias Halkias Hallas Harames Hardouvelis Haritopoulos Haritos Hassiotis Hatzichristou Hatzis Hatzjiandreu Hondos Honjas Horiatis Houdzoumis Houlis Hristopoulos Iatrides Iliadis Iliopoulos Iliopoulou Ioannides Ioannidis Ioannidou Ioannou Iymperopoulou Janetopoulos Janetos Kabitsis Kachiros Kairis Kaisaris Kakavetsis Kaklamanakis Kakos Kakouris Kaladosis Kalakos Kallas Kallergis Kalogeria Kalogeropoulos Kalogiannis Kaloxylos Kalvos Kanaris Kanavos Kanellopoulos Kapataidakis Kaphandaris Kapsalis Kapsimalles Kara Karabachos Karabatsos Karabinis Karabinos Karabochos Karadimos Karafilis Karagentsidis Karageorgis Karageorgos Karagiannis Karaglanis Karagogeos Karagounis Karahalios Karaiskakis Karakatsani Karakinos Karakotsios Karamanlis Karameros Karanasos Karaoulanis Karatossos Karavidas Kardasis Karras Karvelas Kasomoulis Katevatis Katramados Katsafanas Katsambis Katsantonis Katsaros Katsiavrias Katsivalis Katsourinis Kavadas Kavouras Kefakis Kefalas Kiakidis Kilaras Kiriakopoulos Kitromilides Kladis Klaras Kofides Kofidis Kokkali Kokkinos Kokoris Kokoros Kokotis Kolettis Koliavas Kollias Kolokotronis Kolovos Komvopoulos Kondylis Konidaris Konstantinidis Konstantinidou Konstantinou Konstantopoulos Kontoghiorghes Kontogiannis Kontopoulos Kontos Kontostathis Kontou Kopidakis Kopsas Korbas Koryllos Koryzis Koskotas Kosmas Kosoulas Kostakes Kostakis Kostanopoulos Kostas Kostopoulos Kostopoulou Kostovassilis Kostovilis Kotopouli Kotsiakis Kotsilimbis Kotsiopoulos Kotsos Kotsovilis Koufos Kouklakis Kouklis Koukoudimos Koulaxizis Koulogeorge Koulouris Koulpasis Koumaditis Koumanidis Koumarelos Koumoundouros Koundouriotis Kountouroudas Kouretas Kourniakis Kouropoulos Koutsogiannis Koutsolioutsou Koutsopodiotis Koutsopoulos Koutsoubous Kouvelas Kraikos Kranidiotis Krekas Kringos Kristopoulos Kritikos Kritopoulos Ktenidis Kutras Kyriakopolous Kyriakou Kyriazis Kyritsis Ladas Lagidis Lakiotis Lalagos Lalas Lambadarios Lambrakis Lambrinides Lambrinidis Lambrinos Lambros Lamprou Lazaridis Lefkopoulos Lekas Leonidis Leontarakis Letsos Liakos Lianis Liatos Lillis Limberakis Limnios Linos Lipsanos Livanos Logarakis Loizides Lolonis Lolos Lontos Louganis Loukidis Loukopoulou Louros Louvaris Louverdis Lykoudis Machairas Macrakis Macridis Maganas Magdalinos Magos Magoulas Maharis Makarezos Makrides Makrigiannis Makris Makrodimitris Malavazos Malihoudis Mamalis Mamas Mamoulelis Mandas Mandekos Maneates Manetas Mangakis Maniatis Manis Manolakis Manos Manoukatakis Maragos Marandos Marangopoulos Margaritis Marinatos Marinos Markakis Markezinis Markianos Markopoulos Markou Markoulides Markoullides Matsoukis Mavridis Mavridou Mavrogordatos Mavrokordatos Mavromattes Mavromichalis Mavromikhalis Mavronicolas Mavropoulos Mavros Mavrostomos Maximos Mehalitsenos Meimaris Melas Melissanides Melissinos Melonakos Mentis Mercouri Mersinias Mestas Metaxas Metrofanis Metropoulos Michailidis Michalaras Michalis Michalopoulos Mihas Mikalis Mikhalakopoulos Mikos Milionis Milios Missiakos Mitropoulos Mitros Mitrou Mitsinikos Mitsos Mitsotakis Moraitopoulos Morikis Morphis Moskos Mosos Mossos Moumoulidis Moundalexis Moutsopoulos Mylonas Myron Mytaras Nafpliotis Nagos Neonakis Niamonitos Niarkhos Nicas Nicolaou Nicopoulos Nikolaides Nikolaidou Nikolakakos Nikolakopoulos Nikolaou Nikolopoulos Nikolopoulou Onassis Orfanos Oikonomou Pagonis Pagoulatos Paitakes Palamas Pallis Paloumbas Panagiatopoulos Panagiopoulou Panagiotakis Panagiotidis Panagiotopoulou Panagiotou Panagopoulos Panagopoulou Panagotacos Panagou Panagoulias Panagoulis Panaotis Panaretos Panas Panayides Panayiotopoulos Panayiotou Panetsos Pangalos Paniyiris Panos Panou Panoulias Pantazis Pantelakis Pantelakos Pantermakis Pantopoulos Papacalodoucas Papachristopoulos Papachristou Papaconstantinou Papadakos Papadatos Papadelias Papademetriou Papadias Papadimitriou Papadis Papadopoulou Papadopulos Papaevangelou Papafagos Papageorgakopoulou Papageorge Papageorgiou Papagiannis Papagiannopoulos Papagos Papaiannou Papailias Papaioannou Papakonstantinou Papakostas Papalexopoulos Papamichelis Papanastasiou Papandreou Papanicolau Papanicoliaou Papanikolaou Papanos Papantoniou Paparrigopoulos Papas Papasotiriou Papastavrou Papastefan Papasthenasiou Papatamelis Papathanasiou Papathanassiou Papathemetrios Papatheodorou Papatsakonas Papavasiliou Papazoglou Paphides Papoulia Papoulias Papoulis Papoutsis Pappadakis Pappadopoulos Pappageorge Pappayiorgas Paraskevopoulos Paraskevopoulou Paraskos Parastadidis Paschalis Passas Patrakis Patras Patrianakos Patronis Patsatzis Patselas Pattakos Pavlakakis Pavlatos Pavli Pavlidis Pavlidou Pavlou Pefanis Pelakides Pelas Pentzopoulos Pepelasis Perris Petimezas Petrakis Petrakos Petrides Petridou Petropoulos Petropoulou Petros Petrou Pezas Pezos Philipousis Picoulas Pintzopoulos Plevritis Polakis Polihronakis Politis Polychrones Polychroniadis Polychronopoulos Polydorides Polydoros Polymeropoulos Polyzos Polyzou Popotas Porpurogenitos Potamianos Poulakidas Poulakis Pouliadis Poulinakis Poutous Prassas Pratkanis Preftokis Prevalakis Protopapas Protopsaltis Proussalidi Psacharopoulos Psaros Psaroulakis Psiharis Ptohos Pulos Rachiotis Rallis Rapsomanikis Raptis Razakis Razelos Rellis Res Rigas Rigatos Rigopoulos Rizos Romanides Rorris Roufanis Rousakis Rousses Roussos Roussou Routsis Rozaklis Saatsakis Saias Sakelaris Sakellaridis Sakellariou Sakis Sakkas Sakkis Samaras Samiotis Samos Sanassis Sarandakos Sarantakis Sarantis Sarantopoulos Sarbanes Sardzetakis Sargetakis Sarhanis Saris Saropoulos Sarris Savakis Savalos Savidis Savvaides Savvas Savvidis Serghis Shinas Siannas Siantos Sideris Sidiropoulos Sidiropoulou Sigountos Simoulis Sioutas Siozopoulos Sitaras Sitilis Skalkidis Skandalis Skarlatos Skiotis Sklavenitis Skouloudis Skouphas Skouras Skouzas Softhis Sokorelis Sophoulis Sordinas Sortras Sotiriou Sotiris Sotiropoulos Sotiropoulou Souflas Soukis Souris Sousanis Souvaltzis Spanos Spanou Spanoudis Spelas Speliopoulos Speronis Spilitopoulos Spiridakou Spirodakis Spiropoulos Spyridonidis Spyropoulos Spyropoulou Stagias Stamatas Stamatelopoulos Stamatelos Stamatiou Stamatopoulos Stamos Stamou Stasinopoulos Stathakis Stathopoulos Stavrakis Stavrianakis Stavrianos Stavrides Stavropoulos Stavropoulou Stavros Stavrou Stavroula Stefanidis Stefanos Stefanou Stephanopoulos Stephanos Stergiopoulos Stergiou Stigas Stournas Strategakis Stratigos Stratis Strilakos Stroggylis Stroubakos Stylianopoulos Stylianou Suflas Surphlis Svoronos Symiakos Syriopoulos Tableriou Taflambas Takes Talimanidis Talitsikas Tavoularis Telis Terovolas Thanopoulou Theodorakis Theodorakos Theodoratos Theodoridis Theodoropoulos Theodoropoulou Theodorou Theofilopoulos Theophilos Theotokis Thermos Thexorthopolis Toles Tomaras Tomopoulos Topalis Totolos Touchakis Toulopoulos Tountas Tourna Toutoulis Trachanas Tragakes Trakatellis Trampakoulos Triantafillou Triantafyllou Triantis Trikoupis Tripatsas Triphyllis Tripodakis Tsahalis Tsakiris Tsakonas Tsakoumis Tsakrios Tsaldaris Tsambourlis Tsamis Tsangaris Tsantakis Tsaousidis Tsardikos Tsatsas Tsatsos Tsavdaridou Tselikas Tselios Tsembelis Tsiakkas Tsiaris Tsibris Tsichrintzis Tsikouna Tsimicalis Tsiolakoudi Tsirigolis Tsirimokos Tsokas Tsongas Tsoni Tsopelas Tsouderos Tsoumada Tzannetakis Tzelepis Tzivas Vadeki Vaitsos Vakirtzis Vakros Valaoritis Valasellis Valkanas Vamvakidis Vaphiadis Vardakas Vardakastanis Vardoulakis Varvaressos Varvitsiotes Vasdeki Vasdekis Vasil Vasilakis Vasilas Vasileiou Vasiliadis Vasiliou Vasilopoulos Vassiliadis Vassilides Vassiliou Vassilopoulos Vastakis Vatatzes Vavourakis Velissaropoulos Veloukhiotis Veremis Vergopoulos Veriopoulos Violakis Vlachos Vlachou Vlachoutsicos Vlakhos Vlakhou Volakis Vossos Voudouris Voulgaris Vourlis Voutira Voutsas Vouyoukilis Vozoras Vrettos Vrionis Vrotsis Vrotsos Xanthos Xanthou Xenakes Xenakis Xenos Xirafis Xydis Yanakakis Yannakis Yannas Yannopoulos Yantsios (the O in this last name is silent) Yeroulanos Yfantis Yialouris Ypsilantis Zafiropoulos Zahakis Zakhariadis Zarikos Zavos Zemenides Zenakes Zengos Zenos Ziembekakis Zikos Zogopoulos Zografos Zomopoulos Zorbas Zouvelekis Zuliamis