Maria Georgiou is the most common full name in Cyprus!
The latest available census data suggests that Cyprus is populated almost exclusively by Marys - there are around 40,000 of them on the island. But there are many other names that are extremely popular among Cypriots.
Andreas comes in second, with about 37,000 in Cyprus. Eleni has about 30,000 and Giorgos about 26,000.
Next come: Andrula (20,000), Kostas (18,000), Christos (16,000), as well as Nicholas and Michalis at approximately 15,000 each. Panagiotis rounds out the top ten (just under 14,000).
Variations of each of them (such as Maria, Mariana, Marios) are ranked separately. But still, if you count the number of people with the 10 most common names in Cyprus, you get about a quarter of a million people. This is every fourth resident of the island.
This is not surprising given that local names are still firmly ingrained in families. Here names become living legacies: the first-born child is usually named after the paternal grandparent. The second son or daughter may well be named after the maternal grandparents.
After that, it's all up to you: third sons or daughters are often named after the parents themselves, godparents, favorite aunts and uncles, or family saints.
This practice exists not only in Cyprus, but also in many Southern European countries: Greece traditionally follows a similar hierarchy, as do Italy, Spain and Portugal. To a lesser extent, Russia, Poland, Iceland and Scotland do this - although here, as in Arab countries, the father's name can be included both as a patronymic and as a middle name.
Interestingly, in other parts of the world the system is radically different.
In China, names are usually chosen for their significant symbols and auspicious sounds that reflect positive qualities and aspirations. In India, names are shaped by various traditions, religious texts and cultural meanings. In the West, the general trend is moving from a small set of very popular names to a wider range of unique nicknames.
But not in Cyprus, where the 20 most common names together cover almost 30 percent of the population! As for surnames, Charalambous and Ioannou lead the way, followed by Constantinou and Christodoulou.
“All three of my closest friends are named Marios. Off the top of my head, I can think of at least seven Marias and four Andreases that I have known since childhood! Three of them are a colleague, the second is a kumbaros, the third is a mechanic,” says Sotiris Charalambous.Sotiris brings up a good point. With so many common names, Cyprus puts an end to the theory that a name determines destiny: the idea that people with the same name have similar personalities. But that doesn't stop others from making assumptions.
Recent research (published in Psychology Today) shows that we perceive some names in the same way, jumping to conclusions without even meeting the person in question. Elizabeth is perceived as warm and competent, Riley as warm but incompetent, and Ruth as cold but capable.
But doesn't that make these guesses true? We cannot expect all 10,000 Demetris or 8,000 Catherines of the island to have similar characters.
"Well, all the Marias I've ever met have been family oriented and pretty quiet!" says 25-year-old Nikki Nicolaou. “I know this is a strong generalization, but this is just my experience. Likewise, I have never met Andrula who was in the artistic profession - I can think of six, and they are all mothers and teachers, and one works in a bank.”Names can also influence how we choose where to live and what career to pursue.
This phenomenon is called “implicit selfishness,” which essentially means that our names can determine significant life decisions. This usually applies more to surnames.
However, research shows that people with unusual names are much more likely to pursue creative careers than the average Joe (or in this case Joseph, the 180th most common name in Cyprus).
Source: cyprus-mail.com
