Athanasius (given name) explained


Athanasios
Gender:	Male
Meaning:	Immortal
Region:	Greece
Origin:	Greek
Feminine:	Athanasia
Related Names:	Athanasios, Athanassios, Athnasious, Atanasio, Atanacio, Athanase, Atanas, Athanasiy, Afanasy, Thanasis, Athan, Athos, Panas

Athanasios (Greek, Modern (1453-);: Αθανάσιος), also transliterated as Athnasious, Athanase or Atanacio, is a Greek male name which means "immortal".^[1] In modern Greek everyday use, it is commonly shortened to Thanasis (Θανάσης), Thanos (Θάνος), Sakis (Σάκης), Nasos (Νάσος), Athan (Αθαν) or Athos (Aθως).

The female version of the name is (Greek: Αθανασία), shortened to Sia (Σία) or Nancy (Νάνσυ)

Notable people with this name include:

Religious figures

Athanasius of Alexandria (ca. 296/298–373), Christian saint, Coptic pope, theologian
Pope Athanasius II of Alexandria (died 496), Coptic pope from 490 to 496
Athanasius I Gammolo (died 631), Patriarch of Antioch, and head of the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch from 595 until his death
Athanasius II Baldoyo (died 686), Patriarch of Antioch, and head of the Syriac Orthodox Church from 683 until his death
Athanasius Sandalaya, Patriarch of Antioch, and head of the Syriac Orthodox Church from 756 until 758
Athanasius I (bishop of Naples) (died 872), Italian bishop
Athanasius of Naples (died 898), bishop and Duke of Naples
Athanasius IV of Salh (died 1002), Patriarch of Antioch, and head of the Syriac Orthodox Church from 986 until his death
Athanasius the Athonite (c. 920–c. 1003), Byzantine monk and saint who founded the monastic community on Mount Athos
Athanasius VI bar Khamoro (died 1129), Patriarch of Antioch, and head of the Syriac Orthodox Church from 1091 until his death
Pope Athanasius III of Alexandria, Coptic pope from 1250 to 1261
Athanasius I of Constantinople (1230–1310), Greek Patriarch of Constantinople, Eastern Orthodox saint
Patriarch Athanasius III of Alexandria, Greek Patriarch of Alexandria between 1276 and 1316
Athanasius the Meteorite (1302–1380), Greek monk who founded the Monastery of Great Meteoron in Meteora, Greece
Patriarch Athanasius IV of Alexandria, Greek Patriarch of Alexandria between 1417 and 1425
Athanasius II of Constantinople, last Greek Patriarch (1450–1453) of an independent Constantinople
Athanasius, Metropolitan of Moscow (died in the 1570s), Metropolitan of Moscow and all Russia from 1566 to 1568, writer and icon painter
Athanasius II Dabbas (died 1619), Greek Patriarch of Antioch from 1611 to his death
Athanasius of Brest (died 1648), Lithuanian martyr of the Orthodox Church
Athanasius III of Constantinople (1597–1654), Patriarch of Constantinople in 1634, 1635 and 1652
Athanasius III Dabbas (1647–1724), Greek Patriarch of Antioch and Archbishop of Cyprus
Athanasius IV of Constantinople, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople in 1679
Athanasius of Attalia (died 1700), Orthodox martyr of Smyrna
Athanasius V of Constantinople, Greek Patriarch of Constantinople from 1709 to 1711
Athanasios Parios (1722–1813), Greek hieromonk, theologian, philosopher, educator and hymnographer
Athanasius V Matar, Patriarch of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church for a few months in 1813
Archimandrite Averchie (Athanasios Giatsou Bountas; 1806/1818–?), Aromanian monk and schoolteacher
Athanasius Schneider (born 1961), Roman Catholic bishop
Athanasiy Velyki (1918–1982), Ukrainian Basilian priest, historian, member of the Shevchenko Scientific Society

Academics

Athanasios Angelopoulos (born 1939), Greek professor of theology
Athanasios Asimakopulos (1930–1990), Canadian economist
Athanasios Kafkalides (1919–1989), Greek neuropsychiatrist
Athanasius Kircher (1602–1680), German Jesuit scholar and polymath
Athanasios Moulakis (1945–2015), Greek Professor of Government
Athanasios Rousopoulos (1823–1898), professor
Athanasios Psalidas (1767–1829), author, scholar and one of the most renowned figures of the modern Greek Enlightenment
Athanasios Stageiritis, professor of Greek language at the Imperial Academy in Vienna
Athanasios Pantelous (born 1978), Greek associate professor in actuarial science and financial mathematics

Soldiers, revolutionaries and politicians

Athanasios Diakos (1788–1821), Greek military commander during the Greek War of Independence
Athanasios Dimitrakopoulos (1936–2022), Greek politician
Athanasios Eftaxias (1849–1931), former Prime Minister of Greece
Athanasios Exadaktylos (1869–1936), Greek Army general
Athanasios Frangou (1864–1923), Greek Army officer
Athanasios Kanakaris (1760–1824), Greek revolutionary and politician
Athanasios Kanakaris-Roufos (1830–1902), politician, mayor of the city of Patras
Athanasios Kanellopoulos (1923–1994), Greek politician, Deputy Prime Minister of Greece (1990–1992)
Athanasios Klaras (1905–1945), military leader of ELAS (nom de guerre Aris Velouchiotis)
Athanasios Miaoulis (1815–1867), former Prime Minister of Greece
Athanasios N. Miaoulis (1865–1936), former Mayor of Piraeustu
Thanos Mikroutsikos (1947–2019), Greek songwriter and politician
Atanas Paparizov (born 1951), Bulgarian politician and Member of the European Parliament
Athanasios Pipis (died 1821), revolutionary in the Greek War of Independence
Thanos Plevris (born 1977), Greek politician
Athanasios Roussopoulos (1903–1983), Greek politician
Athanasios Tsakalov (died 1851), Greek revolutionary against Ottoman rule, co-founder of the Filiki Eteria secret revolutionary organization
Athanasios Tsaldaris (1921–1997), Greek politician, Speaker of the Hellenic Parliament at various times from 1989–1993

Artists and entertainers

Athanasios Christopoulos (1772–1847), Greek poet
Thanos Kalliris (born 1962), Greek pop singer
Thanos Mikroutsikos (born 1947–2019), Greek songwriter and politician
Panas Myrny (1849–1920), Ukrainian prose writer and playwright
Thanos Petrelis (born 1975), Greek pop singer
Sakis Tolis (born 1972), Greek musician best known as the vocalist and rhythm guitarist of Rotting Christ

Athletes

Athanasios Kostoulas (born 1976), Greek footballer
Athanasios Mantzouranis (born 1982), Greek cyclist
Athanasios Michalopoulos (born 1973), Greek beach volleyball player
Athanasios Nanopoulos, Greek fencer
Athanasios Protopsaltis (born 1993), Cypriot-born Greek volleyball player
Athanasios Skaltsogiannis (born 1878, date of death unknown), Greek hurdler and long jumper
Athanasios Skourtopoulos (born 1965), Greek basketball player
Athanasios Stoikos (born 1988), Greek footballer
Athanasios Tsigas (born 1982), Greek footballer
Athanasios Vouros, Greek fencer
Thanasis Antetokounmpo (born 1992), Greek basketball player
Thanasi Kokkinakis, Australian tennis player

Other

Athanasios of Emesa, 6th-century Byzantine jurist
Athanasius (praetorian prefect), 6th-century Byzantine official
Afanasy Nikitin, Russian merchant, one of the first Europeans to travel to and document his visit to India. Died 1472.
Athanasios Lefkaditis (1872–1944), founder of Greek Scouting
Athanasios Papoulis (1921–2002), Greek-American engineer
Athanasios Polychronopoulos (born 1984), Greek-American professional poker player

Notes and References

Book: Hanks, Patrick . Patrick Hanks
. Patrick Hanks . Hardcastle . Kate . Hodges . Flavia . A Dictionary of First Names . . Oxford paperback reference . 2006 . 978-0-19-861060-1 . 67869278 . 65 . 25 May 2021.