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Archiver > GREEK-SURNAMES > 2004-10 > 1096811544


From: Joseph Puentes <>
Subject: General Question: Ottoman Rule
Date: Sun, 03 Oct 2004 09:52:24 -0400
References: <200410031300.i93D0R7r021871@lists2.rootsweb.com>
In-Reply-To: <200410031300.i93D0R7r021871@lists2.rootsweb.com>


Can anyone shed light on this?:

I heard that in the "old" days. . .probably late 1890 or thereabouts
that folks in Greece didn't have surnames but would be called by the
name of the father. Forexample lets say the father's name was Aesop.
Then his children would be called "son of Aesop" so if his name was
Anastacio then he would be called "Anastacio son of Aesop" and then his
children would be called "_______ son of Anastacio."

Now hold on here I was just given some info that will directly apply to
this. . .seems that parts of Greece were under the Ottoman rule for a
few hundred years and it might be that the above naming pattern might
apply to the Ottoman affected areas but not to the Greeks themselves (I
don't know but maybe the Greeks had their surnames that they would
"unofficially" use when the Ottomans weren't within earshot.

So as you can see I really don't know about this and was hoping someone
could confirm, deny, or in general just set me straight on this. Your
help would be much appreciated.

Joseph Puentes (wife has roots in Greece)


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