What’s in a Name? How 14 Greek Islands Got Theirs

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With over 6,000 islands and islets scattered across the Greek seas, the Greek islands are a defining feature of Greece’s geography and an integral part of the country’s culture throughout the ages.

The islands offer diverse landscapes filled with an endless array of natural wonders: from beaches stretching for many kilometres, sheltered bays and coves, and impressive mountainscapes to spectacular geological formations such as volcanic rocks, lagoons, waterfalls, and caves.

Like the names of cities all around the world, which tend to be derived from the name of their founder, an early leader, or a description of the flora, fauna or geographical features, the names of Greek islands are not just random.

Many Greek islands were named after mythical heroes, ancient gods, and kings, serving as a reminder of Greece’s ancient history and rich mythological culture.

Some are big and others small; each Greek island has its own past and a story to tell about how it got its name.

Paxos

The beautiful Ionian island of Paxos takes its name from the word “passion”. According to the myth, Poseidon fell desperately in love with the sea nymph Amphitrite after he saw her dancing one day.  She told him that he could only make her his if he gave her a land of her own. So the god of the sea raised his cosmic trident, cut off a piece of Corfu, where he lived with his love, Amphitrite.

Folegandros

The Cycladic island of Folegandros was originally called “Polykandros” because it had a very large population. Its mythological first settler was Folegandros, son of Minos, who brought a large population of Cretans to the island and named it after himself.

Andros

Andros or Andreas was a famous soothsayer – so great that Rhadamanthus, brother of Minos, gave him an island.

The wise king of Crete, Rhadamanthus was considered the most just man in the world, and on account of his inflexible integrity, when he died he was made a judge of the Underworld.   Rhadamanthus was pleased with Andros’s services, so he decided to gift him an entire island, which was thereafter named for him.

Samos

Rich in history and natural beauty, the island of Samos took its name from the Phonenician word “sama” which means “high”, according to the Greek geographer and historian Strabo, probably because of the mountains which cover it.

Tinos

During ancient times Tinos was known as Ophioussa, taken from the words “ophis” which means snake in ancient Greek, because of the great number of snakes that populated it; and “Ydroussa”, or hydria meaning water places, because of its abundant water.  Today, Tinos derives its name from King Tino, the first resident of the island and chief of a group of Ioanians from Karia in Asia Minor who first inhabited it.

Naxos

The island of Naxos in ancient times was called Dias, because it is the largest of the Cyclades and therefore took the name of the greatest of the ancient Gods. When the island was colonised by the hero Naxos, Son of Endymion the lover of the moon, it was named in honour of its ruler.  Other myths testify that the island’s name was derived from the ancient Greek word “naxai”, because of the many sacrifices that took place there in honour of the gods.

Ithaca

Located in the Ionian Sea, Ithaca is regarded as the home of Homer’s Odysseus.  The name of the long and narrow island is derived from the word “ithys”, which means straight and long.  Similarly, from the word “ithys” comes the word “ichthys”, for the fish, because it is also long and narrow.

Zakynthos

Zakynthos was named after Zacynthos, the son of the legendary King Dardanos of Troy.  When the Trojan campaign ended, Zacynthos and his people left Troy and settled on an island that they thenceforth named after him.

Chios

Famous for its mastic exports, the island of Chios owes its name to Chioni, who, according to mythology, was the Goddess of Snow and the daughter of Poseidon.  According to the myth, the island was originally a desert; however, when Chioni was born, it began to snow, and the snowfall made the island’s soil fertile.

Mykonos

In Greek mythology, the popular island of Mykonos was said to be named after its first ruler, Mykons, a local hero who was the grandson of the god Apollo.  The island is also said to have been the site of a great battle between the Greek god Zeus and a Titan, and the place where Hercules killed the invincible giants after luring them from the protection of Mount Olympus. According to legend, the large rocks scattered across the island are the petrified testicles of the giants.

Crete

The largest of the Greek islands, the name of the island of Crete means strong and mighty. Crete was the largest sea-kingdom in the world and the centre of Europe’s first advanced civilisation, the Minoan civilisation.  The island’s first guardians were the Kouretes from whom the Cretans took their name.

Kefalonia

Kefalonia took its name from the hero Cephalus, the island’s first ruler, an Athenian leader and son of Dionysus.  After exiling himself from Athens after accidentally murdering his wife, Procris, Cephalus settled on the island where he was ruler.  He never managed to recover from his grief after the death of Procris, however, and so eventually committed suicide by falling from a cliff into the sea.

Ikaria

The story of Ikaria begins on Crete, where Daedalus worked as a craftsman for King Minos, constructing a labyrinth to keep the feared Minotaur trapped and under control.  Wanting the monster to remain a secret to the inhabitants of the island, the king locked up Daedalus and his family so the truth could never be revealed.

Formulating an escape plan, Daedalus gathered bird feathers and made two sets of wings for himself and his son, Icarus, so that they could fly away.  Unfortunately, as he soared to freedom, Icarus flew too close to the sun, which melted the wax that fastened his wings.  He fell into the sea, and the island near where he fell was named Ikaria, after him.

Amorgos

It is said that the name of the atmospheric island of Amorgos was derived from the amorgis plant, from which the ancients made an excellent flax used to produce linen fabric. Hence, in ancient times, the ‘aliko amorgides’, tunics of Amorgos, were particularly popular.

Others say that Amorgos took its name from the colour of the surrounding sea, with “mourga” meaning oil sediment or black. The waters surrounding the island are very deep, ranging from 256 metres on the eastern side to 724 metres on the southern side.

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