Red Greece

Greek last names. People from Crete have "is" endings...?

I've heard that it has to do with a Turkish takover of the island and that the Turkish changed their names to make them feel small since the greek word ending for "small" is "is". Is this true?, and if it is, why haven't the people changed their names since?

Public Comments

1. The ending you are looking for is "akis" and not "is". Of course the story they told you is only a myth and it is certainly not true! In reality the ending "akis" (just like "idis" or "idas" and "poulos") in the last name means "son of". Or to be more precise "younger" or "junior" Therefore if the fathers name was "Demetris" his son would be caled called "Dimitr-akis" (or "to Dimitraki") at Crete (or Dimitr-idas or Dimitr-idis or Dimitro-poulos at other parts of Greece). Let me explain how it started Everyone in Greece (since ancient years) carried the name of his father. For example Alexander son of Philip, Perikles son of Ksanthipou, Nikolaos son of Dimitris and so on. Gradually the name of the father became last name and it was past down in generations. So Nikolaos son of Dimitris (in Greek Nikolaos Dimitriou) became Nikolaos Dimitridis (or DImitradis) or Dimitrakis (The ending of the last name was different in different part of Greece. “Akis” in Crete, “akos” or “keas” in Mani and in Lakonia, “idis” or “idas” in Sparta and authentic Macedonia of Greece, “poulos” in various parts of Peloponnesus and so on). About the myth you mention the answer is simple. When the Turks attacked and occupied Crete in 1700 the Cretans fought against them and they- in a period of 200 years- made at list 15 rebellions!!! Mainly because of the constant fights against the Turks the Cretans preserve furiously their Greek identity. Everyone was trying to preserve their language, culture and religion against the barbaric invaders. This was depicted in the names! The majority of the Cretans has in their last names the ending “akis”. So they accused those that didn’t have the “akis” as “not pure Greeks”. The non”akis” Cretans respond by inventing the myth you mentioned. They said that they were purer Greeks than the rest and the “akis” ending was forced by the Turks in order to humiliate the Cretans (assuming that “akis” had the meaning of “lesser” than “younger”). Therefore -according to their argument- they are the bravest and purest Greeks in Crete. Hope I’ve helped!
2. Bravo sou, Ragzeus! I would just add that modern Greek still uses -aki or -akis to denote an especially young thing: a papaki is a duckling (and hence, because of the noise it makes, a small motorbike), a skilaki is a puppy, a moraki a little baby. We also make up affectionate pet names using that ending: Chrysoulaki in place of Chrysoula. But it is not Turkish and did not come from the Ottoman occupation.
3. Every Greek have own last letters in surname,depend where is from his family e.g.Greeks from Asia have ou in last name. But Crete I think is in Aegean Macedonia and that letters have been added in original surnames after Greek occupation in 1913, every Macedonian who didn't accept to change surname was under pressing to leave Aegean Macedonia.
4. Ragzeus is totally right! Ok,you can report me but I can't stand anymore all those stupid things that the most uneducated persons of the forum write.I am talking about rouse. Before opening your mouth,you should think first and if you dont know something you should open a book! You are not Greek (thanks God) but you answer questions about Greece without knowing anything just for saying something bad! You remind me of someone else...