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NEW! Greek Ancestry’s City Directories Collection
Great news! Over 210,000 CITY DIRECTORY records are available on Greek Ancestry! What's even better? The records are offered at DISCOUNT, for $4 only! Search now! City Directories are broadly used in genealogy research internationally. Nonetheless, until today, their...
International Greek Ancestry Conference (Jan. 29-31, 2021)
Save the date – spread the word – join us!
New Records! Messinia & Attiki
Geia sou! We would like you to know that we just released new records for the prefectures of Messinia and Attiki! The villages covered by the new records are: Messinia - Voutena, Makraina [Makrena], Kouloukada, Chalvatso [Kefalovryso], Moustafapasa [Aristomenis],...
Thessaloniki – La Madre de Israel
By Alexandra Kiritsy & Gregory Kontos When Jewish colonists were brought to the newly founded city of Macedonia around 315 B.C., no one could have imagined that Thessaloniki’s history would be closely associated with Jewish history throughout the centuries. About...
“My Big Fat Greek Ancestry Summer” Webinar
Despite the pandemic, the past summer was very productive for Greek Ancestry: new collections, new research tools, new analyses and a brand new platform! We would like to share all our news with you this Saturday, Sept. 26th, at 3pm ET (2pm CT, 1pm MT, noon PT)! Join...
Preserving the Records of Greek Orthodox Parishes in America
Greek Ancestry and EMBCA (Eastern Mediterranean Business Culture Alliance) are pleased to announce a groundbreaking initiative to preserve birth, marriage and death records of the earliest Greek communities in America. These documents are rich, untapped primary...
“Amykles Villages History Project”: Interview with Paula Antonakos & Diane Gotses
By Carol Kostakos Petranek As 13 and 28 year olds respectively, Paula Antonakos-Boswell and Diane Gotses Jackson dove into family history research with youthful enthusiasm. “I was the kid who sat at the table with the grownups listening to their stories and writing...
Newsletter – November 2021
New Records Release, Our Photo Contest, Upcoming Conference, Carol’s Research Tips and… Lots More!
Newsletter – October 2021
New Records Release, New VHPI Grant Beneficiary, Jennifer Aniston’s Hero Ancestor, Our Photo Contest, Carol’s Research Tips and… Lots More!
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Καλωσήρθες! Welcome to the Greek Genealogy Guide!
Here you can learn everything you need to know about Greek genealogy and family history.
Written by
Gregory Kontos
and
Carol Kostakos Petranek
Hellenic ancestry is a source of extraordinary pride and unique identity. Learning the country’s history and understanding the life of its people is a continual journey of knowledge and discovery. Perhaps this is most evident in pursuing the study of one’s Greek family history. Fostering a connectedness to family can stretch beyond the living to include the departed, but only when information about them can be ascertained. What were the names of our second or third great-grandparents? How many children did they have? What were their occupations? And, most important—how do I even begin to access records about them?
Prior to now, answering these questions has been challenging. But the doors of Greek genealogy have now opened to reveal a new era in research. The work being done by Gregory Kontos of Greek Ancestry is groundbreaking and exciting. With the advent of online translated, name-indexed and searchable records from Greece, finding one’s ancestors is not only possible—it is highly probable!
By consulting this Guide, one can navigate the complexities of Greek genealogy and find the correct resources to both access and request relevant documentation for his or her ancestors. It is the beginning of an exciting journey of discovery—and love.
Carol Kostakos Petranek
January 31, 2021