Athanasiou

Athanasiou is a Greek surname meaning “son of Athanasios.” The root of the name is the ancient Greek name Athanasios (Ἀθανάσιος), which in turn derives from a (a) “not” and thanatos (thanatos) “death,” giving the meaning “immortal.” The name was borne by the 4th-century Saint Athanasius, the bishop of Alexandria who defended the doctrine of the Trinity against Arianism at the First Council of Nicaea.

Notable Bearers

Among modern individuals surnamed Athanasiou is Andreas Athanasiou (born 1994), a Canadian professional ice hockey player who has played in the National Hockey League for the Detroit Red Wings and Los Angeles Kings. Grigorios Athanasiou (born 1984) is a Greek footballer who has played for a number of Greek Super League clubs. In other fields, Kyriacos A. Athanasiou (born 1960) is a Cypriot-American bioengineer and professor, known for his research in musculoskeletal tissue engineering. Kenneth R. Athanasiou (born 1967) has served as Chief Information Security Officer at multiple global companies.

Variants and Distribution

The patronymic suffix -ou is common in Greek surnames, indicating “descendant of.” Variant surnames in other languages include the Macedonian Atanasov (masculine) and Atanasova (feminine). The name is primarily found in Greece and among the Greek diaspora.

• Meaning: “son of Athanasios” (immortal)
• Origin: Greek
• Type: Patronymic surname
• Usage Regions: Greece, Cyprus, global diaspora