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Beneficiary Chosen for Village History Project Initiative (VHPI) Grant
Announced in the last session of the International Greek Ancestry Conference, the VHPI aims at helping people connect and exchange information by fostering collaboration.
Calling All Young Greeks: Why and How You Should Explore Your Family History
By Alexandra Kiritsy Learning your personal family history can be an incredibly meaningful adventure. As the saying goes, you can’t know where you’re going until you know where you have been, and there is no better time to delve into your family’s past than as a young...
Greek Ancestry Summer Webinar #3: Prof Angelyn Bartolomei-Balodimas
Greek Ancestry Summer Webinar #2: Prof Stasinos Stavrianeas
Greek Ancestry Summer Webinar #1: Prof Gonda van Steen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gYU9oQLZN8 Prof Gonda van Steen prepared the following handout especially for Greek Ancestry's followers! You may download it by clicking on the button below. Adopted-from-Greece-Where-to-StartDownload
The Kasotakis Family: The history behind the name
By Giannis Michalakakos - Teacher of Family Studies, Msc Cultural Management In Greece, most of the surnames derive from nicknames, patronymics (paternal given names), occupations and places of origin. The surname "Kassotakis" is an example of the latter case, meaning...
“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,
Alexandra Kiritsy
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