Athanasius (given name)
Athanasios, also transliterated as Athnasious, Athanase or Atanacio, is a Greek male name which means "immortal". In modern Greek everyday use, it is commonly shortened to Thanasis, Thanos, Sakis, and Nasos.
The female version of the name is , shortened to Sia or Nancy.
Notable people with this name include:
Religious figures
- Athanasius of Alexandria, Christian saint, Coptic pope, theologian
- Athanasius, one of the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste
- Athanasius of Alexandria
- Pope Athanasius II of Alexandria, Coptic pope from 490 to 496
- Athanasius I Gammolo, Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and head of the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch from 595 to 631
- Athanasius II Baldoyo, Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and head of the Syriac Orthodox Church from 683 to 686
- Athanasius Sandalaya, Patriarch of Antioch, and head of the Syriac Orthodox Church from 756 until 758
- Athanasius I , Italian bishop
- Athanasius of Naples, bishop and Duke of Naples
- Athanasius IV of Salh, Patriarch of Antioch, and head of the Syriac Orthodox Church from 986 until his death
- Athanasius the Athonite, Byzantine monk and saint who founded the monastic community on Mount Athos
- Athanasius VI bar Khamoro, 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, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople and Eastern Orthodox saint
- Patriarch Athanasius III of Alexandria, Greek Patriarch of Alexandria between 1276 and 1316
- Athanasius the Meteorite, 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 of an independent Constantinople
- Athanasius, Metropolitan of Moscow, Metropolitan of Moscow and all Russia from 1566 to 1568, writer and icon painter
- Athanasius II Dabbas, Greek Patriarch of Antioch from 1611 to his death
- Athanasius of Brest, Lithuanian martyr of the Orthodox Church
- Athanasius III of Constantinople, Patriarch of Constantinople in 1634, 1635 and 1652
- Athanasius III Dabbas, Greek Patriarch of Antioch and Archbishop of Cyprus
- Athanasius IV of Constantinople, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople in 1679
- Athanasius of Attalia, Orthodox martyr of Smyrna
- Athanasius V of Constantinople, Greek Patriarch of Constantinople from 1709 to 1711
- Athanasios Parios, 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, Aromanian monk and schoolteacher
- Athanasius Schneider, Roman Catholic bishop
- Athanasiy Velyki, Ukrainian Basilian priest, historian, member of the Shevchenko Scientific Society
Academics
- Athanasios Angelopoulos, Greek professor of theology
- Athanasios Asimakopulos, Canadian economist
- Athanasios Kafkalides, Greek neuropsychiatrist
- Athanasius Kircher, German Jesuit scholar and polymath
- Athanasios Moulakis, Greek Professor of Government
- Athanasios Rousopoulos, professor
- Athanasios Psalidas, 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, Greek associate professor in actuarial science and financial mathematics
Soldiers, revolutionaries and politicians
- Athanasios Diakos, Greek military commander during the Greek War of Independence
- Athanasios Dimitrakopoulos, Greek politician
- Athanasios Eftaxias, former Prime Minister of Greece
- Athanasios Exadaktylos, Greek Army general
- Athanasios Frangou, Greek Army officer
- Athanasios Kanakaris, Greek revolutionary and politician
- Athanasios Kanakaris-Roufos, politician, mayor of the city of Patras
- Athanasios Kanellopoulos, Greek politician, Deputy Prime Minister of Greece
- Athanasios Klaras, military leader of ELAS
- Athanasios Miaoulis, former Prime Minister of Greece
- Athanasios N. Miaoulis, former mayor of Piraeustu
- Thanos Mikroutsikos, Greek songwriter and politician
- Atanas Paparizov, Bulgarian politician and Member of the European Parliament
- Athanasios Pipis, revolutionary in the Greek War of Independence
- Thanos Plevris, Greek politician
- Athanasios Roussopoulos, Greek politician
- Athanasios Tsakalov, Greek revolutionary against Ottoman rule, co-founder of the Filiki Eteria secret revolutionary organization
- Athanasios Tsaldaris, Greek politician, Speaker of the Hellenic Parliament at various times from 1989 to 1993
Artists and entertainers
- Athanasios Christopoulos, Greek poet
- Thanos Kalliris, Greek pop singer
- Thanos Mikroutsikos, Greek songwriter and politician
- Panas Myrny, Ukrainian prose writer and playwright
- Thanos Petrelis, Greek pop singer
- Sakis Tolis, Greek musician best known as the vocalist and rhythm guitarist of Rotting Christ
Athletes
- Athanasios Kostoulas, Greek footballer
- Athanasios Mantzouranis, Greek cyclist
- Athanasios Michalopoulos, Greek beach volleyball player
- Athanasios Nanopoulos, Greek fencer
- Athanasios Protopsaltis, Cypriot-born Greek volleyball player
- Athanasios Skaltsogiannis, Greek hurdler and long jumper
- Athanasios Skourtopoulos, Greek basketball player
- Athanasios Stoikos, Greek footballer
- Athanasios Tsigas, Greek footballer
- Athanasios Vouros, Greek fencer
- Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Greek basketball player
- Thanasi Kokkinakis, Australian tennis player
Other
- Athanasios of Emesa, 6th-century Byzantine jurist
- Athanasius Scholasticus, Greco-Roman jurist
- Athanasius, 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, founder of Greek Scouting
- Athanasios Papoulis, Greek-American engineer
- Athanasios Polychronopoulos, Greek-American professional poker player