Athanasius (given name)

Athanasius or Athanasios (Greek: Αθανάσιος) is a Greek male name which means immortal. In modern Greek everyday use, it is commonly shortened to Thanasis (Θανάσης), Thanos (Θάνος), Sakis (Σάκης), Nasos (Νάσος), Athan (Αθαν) or Athos (Aθως).

Notable people with this name include:

Religious figures

• Pope 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
• 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-Litovsk (died 1648), Lithuanian martyr of the Russian 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
• Athanasius Schneider (born 1961), Roman Catholic bishop

Academics

Athanasius Kircher

• Athanasios Angelopoulos (born 1939), Greek professor of theology
• 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 (fl. 19th century), professor of Greek language at the Imperial Academy in Vienna
• Athanasios Tsakalidis (born 1950), Greek computer scientist

Soldiers, revolutionaries and politicians

Athanasios Diakos

• Athanasios Diakos (1788–1821), Greek military commander during the Greek War of Independence
• Athanasios Eftaxias (1849–1931), former Prime Minister of Greece
• 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 (born 1947), Greek songwriter and politician
• Thanos Plevris (born 1977), 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), Greek songwriter and politician
• Thanos Petrelis (born 1975), Greek pop singer

Athletes

• Athanasios Kostoulas (born 1976), Greek footballer
• Athanasios Michalopoulos (born 1973), Greek beach volleyball player
• Athanasios Skaltsogiannis (born 1873), Greek hurdler and long jumper
• Athanasios Tsigas (born 1982), Greek footballer
• Athanasios Vouros, Greek fencer

Other

• Athanasios of Emesa, 6th-century Byzantine jurist
• Athanasius (praetorian prefect), 6th-century Byzantine official
• Athanasios Papoulis (1921–2002), Greek-American engineer

See also

• Thanasis, a given name
• Thanos (name), a given name and a surname
• Afanasy, the Russian form of Athanasios
• Athanase, a given name
• Atanasio, a given name