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 (presbyter)
- 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 (bishop of Naples), 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 (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, founder of Greek Scouting
- Athanasios Papoulis, Greek-American engineer
- Athanasios Polychronopoulos, Greek-American professional poker player