Because Kythera was settled in such a way that a few dozen original families spawned the majority of present-day Kytherians, almost every branch of every family had a "nickname" to distinguish it from that of others with the same surname.
The nicknames were sometimes simply the genitive form of a christian name (e.g. "Dimitrelou") or derived from the profession of an ancestor (e.g. "Miliotis" = "Miller") or even describe a physical attribute (e.g. "Koutsaftis" or "Tarzan").
This is the section of the website where you can view the island's nicknames and read about which surnames they are associated with and hopefully where they came from as well.
You can submit to the section by clicking on add to nicknames at the top right.
The origin of two surnames. Comprehensive biography of Miltiades Bidzanis/Bidzanakis, later Michael de Diar Originally, the name Bidzanis had been a nickname given to the family, after a forebear who spoke with a lisp. H...
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To distinguish between the many families with the surname "Cassimatis", nicknames were very common. Adzatos was the name given to my great-grandfather who lived in the village of Potamos. I have been told that it means "...
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Additional information, which may be of interest to Komninoi, is that all original branches of the family that migrated from the two original Komninos towns of Kythera, that is, Perlegianika & Dourianika, can be traced v...
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My grandmothermother was a Tzortzopoulos from Karavas. My mother was Melba Cominos (Melpomeni Kosmas Kominos). Melba's parents were Anna (Kirranni) Tzortzopoulos Douris from Douranika, and Charles Kosma Komino. Melba mar...
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My father Nicholas Cassimaty who came from Kato Livathi migrated to Australia in 1922. He had a brother George who lived in New York, Spiro, Emmanuel and Panayioti (who lived in Australia), sisters, Maria Callegeros and...
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As remembered by Con George Poulos Hlihlis, in an imaginary journey through Karavas. Recited by then 84 year old Con from memory, at the year 2000 Karavitiko. Καραβήτικες Εντυπώσεις Ξένοι μιά μέρα σαν βρεθείς στου Καραβά...
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The paternal parachoukli of Jim and Con Psaltis, is "Laveri". "Laveri" means dark. As with most Protopsaltis'- the family derives from Mitata.
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Jim Samios' (NSW politician) parents were Milton and Constantina. A Samios married to a Samios. On his mothers side, the family parachoukli was "Koupeli" - because his maternal grandfather was a consumate dancer.
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Jim Samios' (NSW politician) parents were Milton and Constantina. A Samios married to a Samios. On his fathers side, his grandfather was a trader, operating in Smyrna. His parachoukli derives from that addition to the Tu...
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Nick Feros from Dorrigo, brought his nephew, Nick Frilingos from Kythera to Australia, under the parachoukli "Sandamayis". Nick adopted a variation of his parachoukli - Sandaman, as his "Australian" surname. This story w...
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Parachoukli of Haralambos Souris, "tou Theothosiou", who was was son of George and mother Katarina (to yenos Koroneiou). They lived in Muvroyeorganika, Karavas, in the lower reaches of some of the "iripia spitia".
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The name of the original settler of Christoforianika was Christoforos who escaped the destruction of Paliohora. Later families by the name of Hlentzos and Coolendianos settled here. Descendants of all the above families...
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Legend tells us that the original settler of Broggi near Karavas was a fisherman by the name of Barnard. This name was later changed to its Greek equivalent, Venardos, and families with this name spread to other nearby v...
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Another of the Tzortzopoulos families who emigrated to the USA had the "parachoukli" "Kourvoulis". My father Con George (Tzortzo)Poulos informs me that their were two brothers, Panayoti and Dimitri (James). Panayoti rema...
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At least two Tzortzopoulos families from went to the USA; settling in Baltimore. The parachoukli of one family was "Georgakas". I believe it was this Tzortzopoulos who provided for funds for the water pipes to be laid in...
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Another Tzortopoulos from Karavas lived on the left hand side of the road as you enter Karavas from Ayia Pelagia - near the old Koroneos olive oil factory. He was expert at a fishing technique called "trutta". His "parac...
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My fathers older brother Minas married Frosso Tzortzopoulos. Both Minas and Frosso were from Karavas. Frosso's family parachoukli was "Logothetis".
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George Calligeros, now deceased, but formerly of Dubbo, in NSW; and his brothers and sisters; were born near Fatsathika, in a village known as Kourmoulianika. Their father was a well known priest; Pappa Manoli Calligeros...
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George C Protopsaltis Parachoukli - Ntessis Born, 1914, Mitata, Kythera. [There is an interesting photograph posted to kythera-family at Photography Island, subsection, Vintage Portraits, by Arthur Sklavos, (11.10.2004)...
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