37
edits
Greece Naming Customs: Difference between revisions
m
no edit summary
mNo edit summary |
mNo edit summary |
||
| Line 11: | Line 11: | ||
*'''Foreign terms''', from Turkish, Spanish, Italian, Albanian, and Slavic, could have been modified into a Greek surname: Karas (Turkish: black), Paras (Turkish: money), Lekes (Turkish: mark, stain), Katsakis (Turkish: fugitive, escapee), Delapatridis (Italian: of the homeland), and Kolias (Albanian for Nikolaos). | *'''Foreign terms''', from Turkish, Spanish, Italian, Albanian, and Slavic, could have been modified into a Greek surname: Karas (Turkish: black), Paras (Turkish: money), Lekes (Turkish: mark, stain), Katsakis (Turkish: fugitive, escapee), Delapatridis (Italian: of the homeland), and Kolias (Albanian for Nikolaos). | ||
Surnames were first used by the nobility and wealthy land owners. Later the custom was followed by merchants and townspeople and eventually by the rural population. This process took two or three centuries. In the Balkan peninsula, the practice of adopting fixed family surnames developed earlier (Byzantine times) than in Western Europe. Family ties are very important in Greece and extend beyond the immediate family. Family surnames came to be applied to these extended families or clans. This practice developed gradually from the time of the Byzantine empire. Even after surnames began to be used, a single given name was often all that was ever needed or used in everyday village life. On the other hand, the Greek custom of naming children after their grandparents soon led to many individuals in the same community with the same names. | Surnames were first used by the nobility and wealthy land owners. Later the custom was followed by merchants and townspeople and eventually by the rural population. This process took two or three centuries. In the Balkan peninsula, the practice of adopting fixed family surnames developed earlier (Byzantine times) than in Western Europe. Family ties are very important in Greece and extend beyond the immediate family. Family surnames came to be applied to these extended families or clans. This practice developed gradually from the time of the Byzantine empire. Even after surnames began to be used, a single given name was often all that was ever needed or used in everyday village life. On the other hand, the Greek custom of naming children after their grandparents soon led to many individuals in the same community with the same names. Nicknames were used to distinguish among persons with the same name. | ||
These nicknames developed just as the other surnames had started—from fathers’ names, occupations, or descriptions. For example, if there were several individuals named Paulos in the Doukas family, one could be called Paulos Kontos (Paulos the short), another might be called Karapaulos (black-haired Paulos), and another might be called Paulos Raptidis (Paulos the tailor’s son). The children of these individuals might take the original Doukas surname or might take the nickname. In the next few generations there may be so many individuals in the Karapaulos family with the name Ioannis that the process starts over again. | These nicknames developed just as the other surnames had started—from fathers’ names, occupations, or descriptions. For example, if there were several individuals named Paulos in the Doukas family, one could be called Paulos Kontos (Paulos the short), another might be called Karapaulos (black-haired Paulos), and another might be called Paulos Raptidis (Paulos the tailor’s son). The children of these individuals might take the original Doukas surname or might take the nickname. In the next few generations there may be so many individuals in the Karapaulos family with the name Ioannis that the process starts over again. | ||