Greek Family Relationship Names Explained (English to Greek Guide)

If you've spent any time around a Greek family, you already know that "yiayia" and "pappous" (grandmother and grandfather) get used constantly, often shouted across a kitchen. But Greek kinship vocabulary goes a lot deeper than those two words, and it carries real information: whether someone is related by blood or marriage, which side of the family they're on, and sometimes even birth order. If you're building out a family tree that includes Greek relatives, or just trying to keep track of who's who at a family gathering, this guide walks through the terms you'll actually need.

Why Greek Family Terms Matter for Your Family Tree

Greek, like many Mediterranean and Balkan languages, tends to be more precise than English about family relationships. English uses "aunt" for your mother's sister and your father's brother's wife alike. Greek doesn't collapse those distinctions the same way, and knowing the difference matters if you're transcribing old letters, labeling photographs, or interviewing an older relative about the family's history. Getting a term wrong in a family history document can also blur a relationship that genealogical research depends on being precise about.

Core Immediate Family Terms

English	Greek	Transliteration
Father	Πατέρας / Μπαμπάς	Pateras / Babas
Mother	Μητέρα / Μαμά	Mitera / Mama
Son	Γιος	Gios
Daughter	Κόρη	Kori
Brother	Αδερφός	Aderfos
Sister	Αδερφή	Aderfi
Husband	Σύζυγος	Syzygos
Wife	Σύζυγος	Syzygos (same word, gender shown by article)

Grandparents and Great-Grandparents

• Grandfather - Παππούς (Pappous)
• Grandmother - Γιαγιά (Yiayia)
• Great-grandfather - Προπάππους (Propappous)
• Great-grandmother - Προγιαγιά (Proyiayia)

These two words, yiayia and pappous, are probably the most widely recognized Greek family words outside Greece itself, largely because they're used so affectionately and so often that they've become part of everyday speech in Greek diaspora communities.

Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins

Greek doesn't distinguish maternal and paternal aunts/uncles with separate root words the way some Asian languages do, but it does distinguish blood relatives from those who joined the family by marriage:

• Uncle (blood relative) - Θείος (Thios)
• Aunt (blood relative) - Θεία (Thia)
• Uncle by marriage - Θείος εξ αγχιστείας (less commonly used in casual speech; most families just say Thios)
• Cousin (male) - Ξάδερφος (Xaderfos)
• Cousin (female) - Ξαδέρφη (Xaderfi)
• Second cousin - Δεύτερος ξάδερφος (Defteros xaderfos)

One quirk worth knowing: many Greek families use "thios" and "thia" loosely for close family friends of an older generation, similar to how some cultures use "auntie" for a parent's close friend. It's a term of respect and warmth as much as a strict genealogical label, so don't assume every "thios" in an old letter or photo caption is a blood relative.

In-Laws

• Father-in-law - Πεθερός (Petheros)
• Mother-in-law - Πεθερά (Pethera)
• Brother-in-law - Γαμπρός (Gambros) - this word is also used for a son-in-law or a bride's new husband
• Sister-in-law - Νύφη (Nifi) - also used for a daughter-in-law or new bride

This overlap trips up a lot of people doing family history research: gambros and nifi are used for multiple different in-law relationships depending on context, so a single old document using either word doesn't tell you precisely which relationship it means without more context from the surrounding text.

Godparents and Best Man/Woman: A Uniquely Greek Family Role

No guide to Greek family vocabulary is complete without koumbaros (male) and koumbara (female). These refer to a best man, maid of honor, or godparent, and in Greek Orthodox culture, this relationship is treated as close to a family bond as blood or marriage. A koumbaros or koumbara is often listed in family histories right alongside blood relatives, because the relationship is considered that significant and often carries into the next generation, with children sometimes calling their parents' koumbaros "godfather" for life.

Building These Terms Into Your Family Tree

If you're documenting a Greek branch of your family, a few practical habits help:

1. Record the Greek term alongside the English one when you transcribe letters, gravestones, or church records, since the original word sometimes carries information (like blood vs. marriage) that a direct English translation loses.
2. Note koumbaros/koumbara relationships separately, since they function socially like family but won't show up correctly if you only track blood and marriage ties.
3. Ask living relatives to clarify ambiguous terms like gambros and nifi in old documents while you still can - these are exactly the kind of details that get lost within a generation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do you call your grandmother in Greek?

Yiayia (Γιαγιά) is the standard word for grandmother in Greek, and it's used just as warmly and constantly in English-speaking Greek diaspora families as it is in Greece itself.

Is "koumbaros" a family member?

Not by blood or marriage in the strict sense, but culturally, yes. A koumbaros or koumbara (best man, maid of honor, or godparent) is treated as an honorary but genuinely significant family relationship in Greek Orthodox tradition, often lasting a lifetime and passing into the next generation.

Does Greek have separate words for maternal and paternal aunts and uncles?

No. Unlike some other languages, Greek uses the same core words - thios and thia - for aunts and uncles on either side of the family, though the distinction between a blood relative and one who joined by marriage is sometimes marked.

What does "gambros" mean exactly?

Gambros is a flexible term that can mean brother-in-law, son-in-law, or a bride's new husband, depending on context. It's one of the trickier words to interpret precisely in old family documents without additional context.

How do I say "family tree" in Greek?

The phrase is "οικογενειακό δέντρο" (oikogeneiako dentro), literally "family tree" - a useful phrase to know if you're searching Greek-language genealogy records or talking to Greek-speaking relatives about your research.