Local suffixes in Greek surnames often tell us where families come from, sometimes even how they used to refer to their ancestors. @georgestock3d’s map (data compiled from surname registries and linguistic studies) illustrates these connections beautifully.
Now let’s walk through what the map shows.
Northern Greece: –as, –oudas, –oudis
Endings like -as are common in Epirus and Macedonia. Linguistic surveys note two‑syllable surnames ending in -as from Epirus (e.g. Melas, Dimas). In Thrace, -oudis appears frequently (e.g., Alexoudis). Related endings -oudas and -akas follow similar northern patterns.
Central Greece: –oulos, –elos
Suffixes like -oulos/-oulis, a diminutive meaning “little” or “son of,” are found in Thessaly and central regions (e.g. Georgoulis, Giannoulis).
Western Greece & Ionian Islands: –etos, –atos
-atos originates in Kefalonia and neighboring Ionian Islands (e.g. Marinatos) . I’ve found fewer references to -etos, but it plausibly follows similar regional derivations from Italian influence.
Peloponnese: –opoulos
Probably the best‑known suffix, -opoulos (Latin pullus “little/off‑spring”) means “descendant of.” While most widespread in the Peloponnese, it now appears across Greece (e.g., Papadopoulos).
Southern Peloponnese (Mani): –akos, –eas
In Mani, surnames split regionally: -akos in Laconia Mani and -eas in Messenian Mani. Wiktionary records-eas being typical in Mani peninsula names like Mavréas and Maniatéas.
Aegean Islands & Crete: –akis
The diminutive suffix -akis (“little” or “son of”) is tied to Crete and Aegean islands; examples include Mitsotakis, Theodorakis. Variant -akos also appears in some Mani names.
Asia Minor: –idis, –oglou
-idis/-ides (“son/descendant”) is an ancient patronymic, common in Pontic Greek areas, Bithynia, Thrace, and Epirus (e.g., Stavridis) . -oglou (-oğlu in Turkish) is a Turkic suffix meaning “son of,” used by Asia Minor Greeks (e.g., Tsolakoglou) .
Aegean Islands & Anatolia: –elis, –illis
The island of Lesbos and parts of Anatolia use -ellis/-ellis suffixes (e.g. Kanellis).
Cyprus: –ou
Cypriot surnames frequently end in -ou, marking the genitive case (e.g. Georgiou, Konstantinou).
Additional notes
-itis/-iotis indicates “from a place” (e.g., Chiotis from Chios).
Prefixes like Papa-, Kara-, Hadji-, denote ancestral roles or Turkish roots (e.g. Papadopoulos: son of a priest).
The map above shared reflects well‑documented linguistic history. Surname suffixes do act like regional “DNA,” capturing migration patterns, local dialects, and traces of Ottoman and Venetian rule.
Wondering how these suffixes evolved alongside population movements, trade, or language contact? Drop your thoughts below—I’d love to hear what connects with your own family history!
