If you’ve seen My Big Fat Greek Wedding, which you probably have, if you’re a non Greek you might think that in Greece there are only two or three most common Greek names. No, not everyone is named Niko and most certainly not Anita.
40 percent of Greek men have one of the top five names, and 60 percent have a name in the top 10. For women, 30%, 3 in every 10 Greek women have one of these most common top five names. Moreover, it is still common for Greek parents to stick to tradition and name their children after their grandparents. According to Greek tradition, the husband typically (although not so common in North America) names the first boy after his father’s name to honour the father and pay tribute.
1. Giorgos
The Greek version of George, pronounced “Yee-or-gos,” is the most popular name in the country. The name George, which means “farmer,” originates in Greece.
2. Maria
The most popular girl’s name in Greece pays homage to the Virgin Mary “Panagia” which is celebrated on August 15th. This comes as not a surprise for a country that has nearly 10,000 Greek Orthodox churches.
3. Konstantine
The name Konstantine is derived from the Greek name Konstantinos, which refers to the Roman emperor who established Christianity in his kingdom. In Russia, the name Konstantine is also highly popular.
4. Eleni
The 2nd most popular name for Greek girls is the variant of Helen, which means “shining brightness,” is the second most common name for Greek girls. Helen of Troy was a stunning woman whose visage “launched a thousand ships.”
5. Giannis
Giannis (or Gianni) is the Greek form of the name John. Giannis Antetokounmpo, the NBA’s Greek Freak, is a name you’re probably most familiar with from the world of NBA sports. Yanni the famous musical composer is another example. Since 2016, when Giannis Antetokounmpo played in his first NBA all-star game, the popularity of the name “Giannis” has climbed by 135%, and overall the name is up 662 percent since 2016.
6. Katerina
This name, like many other well-known names, originated in Greece and has since evolved into variations such as Katherine, Katia, and Caitlyn. Its meaning is “pure,” and it works well in any variation.
7. Dimitris
According to Behind the Name, the fourth most frequent boy’s name in Greece is Dimitris, which means “follower of Demeter.” Following Demeter, the Greek goddess of agriculture, so following her was a wise decision.
8. Vasiliki
A Greek girl’s name meaning “regal,” this is a beautiful name to consider if your baby is going to be the princess of the house.
9. Nicholas
Exactly like in My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Nicholas is the name of more than 6% of all Greek boys. Nicholas is ranked #54 on the list of names for this decade in North America, according to the Social Security Administration.
10. Sophia
A beautiful name that means “wisdom.” Sophia is not only common in Greece, but is the fifth most-popular girl’s name on Nameberry.
11. Panagiotis
Panagia is pronounced Pan-a-yio-tis and is derived from the Greek word meaning “all-holy” (the Virgin Mary). Panos, Takis, Yiotis, and Panikos in Cyprus are some of its nicknames.
12. Angeliki
Derived from the Greek word for “angelic” or “messenger”, this popular girl’s name can also be spelled Aggeliki. In North America, we’re more likely to name a daughter Angelica or Angelina.
13. Vassilis
This is from the same root as Vasiliki, this popular boy’s name refers to the 4th-century bishop who helped found the Christian church, St. Basil. A prominent figure in the Greek Orthodox religion. Many go by Bill or Billy in North America
14. Georgia
The female form of Giorgios isn’t pronounced like our the American Southern state. The proper way to pronounce it is “Yee-or-yee-ah.”
15. Christos
In Greek, this biblical name is pronounced with the accent on the first syllable, the holy name, as you might expect, pays homage to the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen!
16. Dimitra
The female variant of Dimitrios is almost as popular as its male counterpart in Greece as a name. Women there normally go by their full names. Many Greek girls will go by Dimi or Toula.
17. Athanasios
This name comes from the Greek word for “immortality” and pays tribute to an early Greek saint. In Greece, the name is commonly shortened to Thanos or Saki.
18. Konstantina
This female form of Konstantinos has a number of common nicknames, like Tina, Dina, Dinaki, and even Connie – only in America!
19. Mihalis
This is the Greek variant of the name Michael, which is the seventh most-popular boy’s name in America.
20. Paraskevi
While Charlotte holds the #10 spot in the US, in Greece, that place belongs to this unusual name meaning “preparation.” Pronounced with the emphasis on the last syllable, it’s the name of a female saint revered in the Greek Orthodox church. Paraskevi in Greek also means Friday.
