One example is Topalidis, being derived from Turkish words such as “topal” (lame) or “top” (cannon). Foreign Terms : Some surnames are derived from Turkish words or other languages that used to have ties to Greece.Occupation or titles: Surnames across many cultures indicate occupation or title-for example, Raftis (tailor) or Papa (priest).For example, Kontos (short) forming Kontogiannis (short John). From the father’s name (patronymic): It is also common for surnames to reflect the original bearer’s personal or physical trait.From the father’s name (patronymic): This category is the most common, with last names being created by adding “son of” to the end of the father’s first name.The creation of Greek surnames stemmed from the following five categories: This freedom from the Ottoman Empire is what truly sparked the commonality of Greek surnames. In 1832, Prince Otto of Bavaria accepted the crown and the Turkish sultan recognized Greek independence with the Treaty of Constantinople in July 1832.

The European powers then intervened, and eventually, a Greco-Turkish settlement was made where Greece adopted a London protocol and was declared an independent monarchical state under their protection. Rebels finally gained control of Peloponnese in 1822, confronted with freedom and internal conflict that spurred civil wars that allowed the Ottoman to overtake them again in 1825. Despite Ypsilantis being soon defeated by the Turks, revolts occurred sporadically across Greece in Peloponnese, north of Corinth, and multiple islands. This rebellion had been ruminating over a period of 7 years since the first patriotic conspiracy was found in 1814. The War for Greek Independence in March 1821 with Alexandros Ypsilantis and a small force of troops crossing the Prut River into Turkish-held Moldavia. They were prevalent in society but not firmly fixed, allowing last names to be flexible, especially in villages, until the third decade of the 19th century.

However, to keep the public from rebelling, they allowed Christians and Jews to continue practicing their faith.Īround this time, surnames were still not very common.

Religion also played a major role during new leadership for the Ottomans were Muslims. This helped to initiate the European Renaissance and push nations to search for new trade routes, starting the Age of Exploration. Many artists and scholars fled, crossing the Ionian Sea and taking refuge in Calabria, or what is now known as Italy’s southern section. The empire continued to grow over many centuries, starting in Anatolia (Asia Minor) and expanding out to many countries at its peak that included modern-day Vienna, Hungary, the Balkan region, Greece, and parts of Ukraine, portions of the Middle East now occupied by Iraq, Syria, Israel, and Egypt, North Africa as far west as Algeria, and large parts of the Arabian Peninsula.ġ430 was when the Ottomans conquered Thessaloniki, one of the wealthiest and largest cities of the Byzantine Empire, and then Constantinople in 1453, terminating the Byzantine Empire completely. The next wave of history began in 1299 when Osman I founded the Ottoman Empire. Greek surnames began with this empire as Byzantine royalty started to use them around the 9th century. Although it ended many years ago, the Byzantine Empire was the longest-lasting medieval power, and we continue to see its influence today through religion, art, architecture, and surnames. Constantinople was the capital of this Christian state, and their official language was Greek. Greece was ruled for many centuries under the Byzantine Empire along with many other territories found in Italy, the Balkans, Asia Minor, Levant, and North Africa. If you’re interested in learning more about the context of the Greek surname, uncovering the meanings of the most popular greek last names, and possibly discovering the legends your family is tied to, continue to read on! History of the Name: Byzantine Empire: Greek ancestry ties many families to Greek mythology, historical rebels, and famous empires. Greek surnames date back as early as the 9th century, meaning those of Greek origin could have the same name as some of the earliest people in history.

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