Rûm (Greek) Names: Cross-Language Adaptations in the Levant

The names used by Levantine Rûm today show a long history of adaptation between Greek and semitic languages like Aramaic and Arabic. Some Greek names were adapted into Arabic forms, while in other cases, Semitic names were Hellenized, and then adapted back into Arabic later. 

This movement was not linear — it was a two-way process shaped by cultural, religious, and linguistic shifts over centuries.  For example:  The Greek name Philippos became Fares in Arabic and Gregorious became Najeeb. On the other hand, the Semitic name AbedShams was Hellenized into something like Heliophilos and the Arabic Hareth became Aretas in Greek texts (my personal favorite is Greek Hatzi, from Arabic Hajji, a prefix added to Greek surnames to indicate that someone who is Greek Orthodox had committed the pilgrimage to Jerusalem). 

The table below (originally compiled by Father Basileus Mahfouz) lists many such names, showing their Greek, Arabic, and Latin transliterations. These shifts reflect how names were adapted to fit the dominant language of each era, while preserving the religious and Hellenic identity of the Greco-Levantines (Rûm). 

#	Greek (Latin)	Arabic Equivalent	Arabic Transliteration	Greek (Original Alphabet)
1	Eirini	سلام، سليمة	Salam, Saleemeh	Ειρήνη
2	Efthimios	سعيد، أسعد، مسعد	Saeed, Asaad, Misa’ed	Ευθύμιος
3	Eilarion	بهيج	Baheej	Ειλάριον
4	Arsenios	همام	Hammam	Αρσένιος
5	Eirinaios	سالم، سليم، سلام	Salem, Saleem, Salam	Ειρηναίος
6	Agathonimos	صالح	Saleh	Αγαθώνυμος
7	Elpida	رجاء	Rajaa	Ελπίδα
8	Agapi	محبة	Mahabah	Αγάπη
9	Andreas	باسل، نبيل	Basel, Nabeel	Ανδρέας
10	Eufemia	ممدوحة	Mamdooha	Ευφημία
11	Eudokia	رضا	Reda	Ευδοκία
12	Onesimos	مفيد	Mofeed	Ονήσιμος
13	Antonios	عوض	Awad	Αντώνιος
14	Athanasios	خالد	Khaled	Αθανάσιος
15	Emilianos	إميل	Emile	Αιμιλιανός
16	Evgeneia	شريفة، نبيلة، جليلة، حسيبة	Shareefe, Nabeelah, Jaleelah, Haseebah	Ευγενία
17	Evgenios	حسيب، جليل، شريف، نبيل	Haseeb, Jaleel, Shareef, Nabeel	Ευγένιος
18	Efthimios	حسن	Hasan	Ευθύμιος
19	Klemes	وديع	Wadee’	Κλήμης
20	Onesimos	نافع	Nafe’	Ονήσιμος
21	Agni	عفيفة	Afifeh	Αγνή
22	Aristarchos	نبيل	Nabeel	Αρίσταρχος
23	Alexis	معين	Mo'een	Αλέξης
24	Agapios	حبيب	Habeeb	Αγαπιος
25	Akakios	حليم	Haleem	Ακάκιος
26	Agathi	صالحة	Salha	Αγαθή
27	Agathangelos	بشير	Basheer	Αγαθάγγελος
28	Evgenios	شريف، جليل، نبيل	Shareef, Jaleel	Ευγένιος
29	Anthimos	مزهر	Mezher	Άνθιμος
30	Eutychia	فرحة	Farha	Ευτυχία
31	Efrosini	منيرة، بهيجة	Moneerah, Baheejah	Εὐφροσύνη
32	Ambrosios	ناجي	Naji	Αμβρόσιος
33	Epimachos	نصار	Nassar	Επίμαχος
34	Anthimos	ماهر	Maher	Άνθιμος
35	Onesimos	معيد	Mo'eed	Ονήσιμος
36	Avgoustinos	سامي	Sami	Αυγουστίνος
37	Vasilikos	ملك	Malek	Βασιλικός
38	Pisti	إيمان، أمينة	Iman, Amineh	Πίστη
39	Prokopios	توفيق	Tawfiq	Προκόπιος
40	Panteleimon	شفيق	Shafeeq	Παντελεήμων
41	Benediktos	مبارك	Mubarak	Βενέδικτος
42	Pistis	أمين	Ameen	Πίστης
43	Timotheos	عبدالله	Abdallah	Τιμόθεος
44	Tryphon	نعيم	Na’eem	Τρύφων
45	Akakios	حليم، لطفي	Haleem, Lutfi	Ακάκιος
46	Titus	مكرم، شريف	Makram, Shareef	Τίτος
47	Thaddeos	محمود	Mahmoud	Θαδδαίος
48	Theofylaktos	محفوظ	Mahfooth	Θεοφύλακτος
49	Theofanis	ظاهر	Thaher	Θεοφάνης
50	Theodosios	عطاالله	Attallah	Θεοδόσιος
51	Theoktistos	بديع	Badee’	Θεόκτιστος
52	Germanos	شفيق	Shafeeq	Γερμανός
53	Charitini	نعمة، نعيمة، لطيفة، بهيجة	Na'meh, Na'eemeh, Lateefe, Baheejeh	Χαριτίνη
54	Christodoulos	عبد المسيح	Abdel Maseeh	Χριστόδουλος
55	Charalambos	فرح	Farah	Χαράλαμπος
56	Chariton	منعم	Monem	Χαρίτων
57	Drosis	ندى	Nada	Δροσίς
58	Romanos	ريمون	Rimon	Ρωμανός
59	Sergios	سركيس	Sarkees	Σέργιος
60	Sophronios	عفيف	Afeef	Σωφρόνιος
61	Gregorios	نبيه، نجيب، ساهر	Nabeeh, Najeeb, Saher	Γρηγόριος
62	Photios	منير	Moneer	Φώτιος
63	Philomenos	حبيب	Habeeb	Φιλούμενος
64	Philotheos	رفيق	Rafeeq	Φιλόθεος
65	Philippos	فارس	Fares	Φίλιππος
66	Euphrosyne	بهيجة، فرحة	Baheejah, Farha	Ευφροσύνη
67	Kallistatos	جميل	Jameel	Καλλίστατος
68	Loukianos	منير	Moneer	Λουκιανός
69	Eleazar	عون	Aoun	Ελεάζαρ
70	Loukia	نور	Nour	Λουκία
71	Marina	جوهرة	Jawhara	Μαρίνα
72	Mattheos	عطاالله	Attallah	Ματθαίος
73	Minas	هلال	Helal	Μηνάς
74	Nikos	غالب منصور	Ghaleb Mansour	Νίκος
75	Efstathia	عادلة	Adleh	Ευσταθία
76	Efstathios	عادل	Adel	Ευστάθιος
77	Leon	أسد، صبئ	Asad, Sabe’	Λέων
78	Hermogenes	نصيف	Naseef	Ερμογένης
79	Iosef	يزيد	Yazeed	Ιωσήφ
80	Monica	وحيدة، فريدة	Waheedeh, Fareedeh	Μόνικα

Cheers/Yamas,

Edmond Ioannis Shami