Greek Name Generator
Free Greek name generator. Read 12 real Greek names and how the surname endings work, then generate ancient or modern ones.
Click “Generate Names” to create unique names
Customize options above, then keep generating — each batch adds to the list instead of replacing it
Or browse greek name examples further down the page.
12 Example Greek Names
Hand-reviewed examples of the greek names this page is built around — useful on their own, and a quick way to see the naming pattern before you generate. Press Generate Names above for a fresh set built to your options.
- 1Nikolaos Papadakis
- 2Eleni Vasiliou
- 3Dimitrios Katsaros
- 4Sofia Anagnostou
- 5Yiannis Petrakis
- 6Ioanna Stamatiou
- 7Christos Doukas
- 8Maria Kalogeropoulou
- 9Stavros Manolakis
- 10Athina Zervou
- 11Kostas Fotiadis
- 12Despina Tsakiri
These are real, widely documented names shown to illustrate the naming pattern. No meaning or etymology is claimed for any of them.
43 Greek Names With Meanings
Real, documented Greek names with the meaning each one actually carries, where it comes from, and how to say it. Every entry is traced to a published reference work — the list is at the bottom of this table. Meanings are the conventional scholarly reading; where a name’s origin is genuinely disputed, the entry says so instead of picking a side.
Given name
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| SophiaΣοφίαso-FEE-a | Wisdom. | GreekFeminine |
| EleniΕλένηe-LE-nee | Of uncertain origin; anciently connected to helenē, "torch". | GreekFeminine |
| ZoeΖωήzo-EE | Life. | GreekFeminine |
| IreneΕιρήνηee-REE-nee | Peace. | GreekFeminine |
| DaphneΔάφνηDAF-nee | Laurel — the tree Apollo took for his crown. | GreekFeminine |
| ChloeΧλόηkhlo-EE | The green shoot of a young plant. | GreekFeminine |
| ThaliaΘάλειαTHA-lee-a | Blooming; flourishing. | GreekFeminine |
| XeniaΞενίαkse-NEE-a | Hospitality — the sacred obligation to a guest. | GreekFeminine |
| AnastasiaΑναστασίαa-na-sta-SEE-a | Resurrection. | GreekFeminine |
| TheodoraΘεοδώραthe-o-DHO-ra | Gift of God — theos + dōron. | GreekFeminine |
| KalliopeΚαλλιόπηka-lee-O-pee | Beautiful-voiced — the muse of epic poetry. | GreekFeminine |
| PenelopeΠηνελόπηpe-ne-LO-pee | Debated; linked to pēnē, "the thread of a weft", and to a duck of the same name. | GreekFeminine |
| AriadneΑριάδνηa-ree-AD-nee | Most holy — an intensive ari- with hagnos, "pure". | GreekFeminine |
| PhoebeΦοίβηFEE-vee | Bright; pure. | GreekFeminine |
| ElpidaΕλπίδαel-PEE-dha | Hope. | GreekFeminine |
| KaterinaΚατερίναka-te-REE-na | Of uncertain origin; later reshaped under katharos, "pure". | GreekFeminine |
| AlexandraΑλεξάνδραa-lek-SAN-dra | Defender of men — alexein + anēr. | GreekFeminine |
| AlexandrosΑλέξανδροςa-LEK-san-dros | Defender of men — alexein, "to ward off", + anēr, "man". | GreekMasculine |
| DimitriosΔημήτριοςdhee-MEE-tree-os | Of Demeter, the goddess of the grain harvest. | GreekMasculine |
| GeorgiosΓεώργιοςYE-or-yos | Farmer — gē, "earth", + ergon, "work". | GreekMasculine |
| NikolaosΝικόλαοςnee-KO-la-os | Victory of the people — nikē + laos. | GreekMasculine |
| TheodorosΘεόδωροςthe-O-dho-ros | Gift of God. | GreekMasculine |
| AndreasΑνδρέαςan-DHRE-as | Manly, from andreios. | GreekMasculine |
| StavrosΣταύροςSTAV-ros | Cross. | GreekMasculine |
| VasiliosΒασίλειοςva-SEE-lee-os | Kingly, royal — from basileus, "king". | GreekMasculine |
| LeonidasΛεωνίδαςle-o-NEE-dhas | Son of the lion — leōn + the patronymic -idas. | GreekMasculine |
| PhilipposΦίλιπποςFEE-lee-pos | Lover of horses — philos + hippos. | GreekMasculine |
| OrestesΟρέστηςo-RES-tees | Of the mountains, from oros. | GreekMasculine |
| IoannisΙωάννηςyo-A-nees | From Hebrew Yohanan, "God is gracious". Everyday form Yannis. | Hebrew, via GreekMasculine |
| PanagiotisΠαναγιώτηςpa-na-YO-tees | All-holy — from Panagia, the title of the Virgin. | GreekMasculine |
| ThemistoclesΘεμιστοκλήςthe-mis-to-KLEES | Glory of the law — themis + kleos. | GreekMasculine |
| AchilleasΑχιλλέαςa-khee-LE-as | Of debated, probably pre-Greek origin; no secure etymology. | GreekMasculine |
| KonstantinosΚωνσταντίνοςkon-stan-DEE-nos | From Latin Constantinus — steadfast, constant. | Latin, via GreekMasculine |
Surname
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| PapadopoulosΠαπαδόπουλοςpa-pa-DHO-poo-los | Son of the priest — papas + the Peloponnesian -opoulos. | Greek surnameUnisex |
| PapadakisΠαπαδάκηςpa-pa-DHA-kees | Son of the priest, in the Cretan -akis form. | Greek surnameUnisex |
| NikolaidisΝικολαΐδηςnee-ko-LY-dhees | Son of Nikolaos — the Pontic and Asia Minor -idis ending. | Greek surnameUnisex |
| GeorgiouΓεωργίουyeor-YEE-oo | Of Georgios — a plain genitive used as a surname. | Greek surnameUnisex |
| StavrouΣταύρουSTAV-roo | Of Stavros; equally, "of the cross". | Greek surnameUnisex |
| VlachosΒλάχοςVLA-khos | A Vlach; by extension a shepherd of the highlands. | Greek surnameUnisex |
| MakrisΜακρήςma-KREES | Tall, long — from makros. | Greek surnameUnisex |
| ChristodoulouΧριστοδούλουkhree-sto-DHOO-loo | Of the servant of Christ. | Greek surnameUnisex |
| KaragiannisΚαραγιάννηςka-ra-YA-nees | Black John — Turkish kara, "black", prefixed to Yannis. | Greek surnameUnisex |
| AntoniadisΑντωνιάδηςan-do-nee-A-dhees | Son of Antonios. | Greek surnameUnisex |
References
- Liddell–Scott–Jones, A Greek–English Lexicon (Perseus Digital Library)Ancient Greek vocabulary — the roots these names are built from.
- Behind the Name — Ancient Greek namesAttested Greek given names and their history into the modern language.
Records reviewed July 2026.
How Greek Names Are Structured
Greek is unusual in that the ancient names never went away. Alexandros, Dimitrios, Sophia, Eleni and Theodoros are not revivals — they have been in continuous use for two and a half thousand years, absorbing a layer of Christian saints' names along the way without displacing the older stock.
Naming follows a strict rule that outsiders find startling: the first son is named for the paternal grandfather, the first daughter for the paternal grandmother, the second son and daughter for the maternal grandparents. Follow this through two generations and cousins end up sharing names in a predictable pattern, which is exactly why Greek families produce four Yannises at the same table. The rule is weakening in cities but still widely observed.
Surnames are patronymic and they announce where the family is from by their ending. -opoulos ("descendant of") is Peloponnesian: Papadopoulos, Nikolopoulos. -akis is Cretan: Papadakis, Manolakis. -idis and -iadis are Pontic and Asia Minor Greek: Nikolaidis, Antoniadis. -atos and -eas point to the Ionian islands, and -oglou is a Turkish borrowing (-oğlu, "son of") carried west by the 1923 population exchange. A great many surnames are simply a name in the genitive: Georgiou is "of George", Stavrou is "of Stavros".
Women's surnames are traditionally the genitive of the husband's or father's: Georgios Papadopoulos has a daughter called Papadopoulou. Both forms are correct; the -ou ending is not a different family.
One more thing worth knowing for fiction: the name day matters more than the birthday. Because most Greeks are named for a saint, they celebrate on that saint's day, and the greeting is "chronia polla", many years.
How to Use This Generator
- 1Select gender
- 2Generate Greek names
- 3Explore meanings and mythology
Tips for Better Names
- Many names have mythological connections
- Consider ancient vs modern style
- Modern Greek surnames carry recognisable endings — -akis, -opoulos, -idis, -ou — which often signal a region. Choose one and stay with it for a family.
- Women's surnames traditionally take a genitive form, which is why "Vasiliou" and "Kalogeropoulou" end differently from the masculine version.
- For an ancient rather than modern feel, drop the surname entirely and use a single name plus a place or parent.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Greek names still used today?
Yes! Many Greek names remain popular worldwide. Names like Alexander, Sophia, and Nicholas have Greek origins and timeless appeal.
What is the difference between ancient and modern Greek names?
Ancient Greek naming used a single name, often with a father's name or a city attached. Modern Greek naming uses inherited surnames with regional endings — a very different shape.
Why do some Greek surnames end differently for women?
The traditional form uses a genitive ending for women, so the same family surname appears in two forms. Both are correct; just be consistent within a family.
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About Greek Name Generator
Greek names carry thousands of years of history, from the heroes of mythology to modern naming traditions. Many Western names have Greek roots, making these names both classic and timeless.
Content reviewed July 2026