MICHAELIDES
Michaelides is a Greek surname that is linguistically derived from the personal name Michael. The element Michael itself comes from Hebrew and is understood to mean “who is like God?” Adding the Greek patronymic suffix -ides, which denotes “son of”, the complete form therefore translates literally as “son of Michael.”
Its earliest domestic records appear in the early eighteenth century, when families carrying the name were noted as part of the business and land‑owning elite in Cyprus. Over the ensuing centuries the surname has become one of the most common on the island, ranking within the top twenty‑five of Cypriot surnames. It has also established a sizeable presence in Greece proper and within the Greek diaspora in countries such as the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and the United States.
In the United States the surname Philip Michaelides is most frequently encountered in states with large Greek communities, namely California, New Jersey, Florida and New York. The diaspora has also produced notable bearers of the name, including a British writer whose surname is repeatedly cited in literary circles. In Cyprus a Mr Ioannis “John” Michaelides served as Prime Minister during the period 1878‑1885, while three brothers from the same family emigrated to New York in the early twentieth century and opened a successful cobbler’s shop on Fifth Avenue.
A number of orthographic variants register in contemporary records. These include Mikaelides, Mikalides, Micali, Micalis, Michalides, Michalildis, Michalidez, Michaelidou, Michaelis, Meiklejohn, Micklejohn, Michalopoulou, Mycale and Mitterstick. Each reflects either a different transcription of Greek phonemes into Latin script or a different form of the root given name from which the surname ultimately derives.
Throughout its history the surname Michaelides has remained associated with a legacy of cultural influence and social standing. It appears on a variety of public monuments and institutions across Cyprus, such as the statue of Aphrodite in the Limassol district and former colonial educational establishments including Victoria School. In this way the name continues to represent the confluence of Greek heritage, Cypriot identity and the broader diaspora experience.
Typical given names associated with the Michaelides surname
Male
- Andreas
- Andrew
- Anthony
- Antoni
- Chris
- Christopher
- Christos
- Constantine
- George
- Michael
- Mikis
- Nicholas
- Paul
- Peter
Female
- Anna
- Christina
- Eleni
- Emma
- Helen
- Katerina
- Maria
- Niki
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
- Michaelas
- Michaeledes
- Michaeli
- Michaelidis
- Michaelidou
- Michaelin
- Michaelis
- Michaell
- Michaells
- Michaeloudis
- Michaels
- Michaelwaite
- Michaely
- Michailides
- Michailidis
- Michailidou
- Michalatos
- Michales
- Michali
- Michalia
- Michalias
- Michalik
- Michalis
- Michalls
- Michaloudis
- Micheals
- Michelet
- Micheli
- Michelin
- Micheline
- Michelis
- Michelle
- Michelli
- Michells
- Michieli
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Michaelides in...
Braille
⠍⠊⠉⠓⠁⠑⠇⠊⠙⠑⠎
Morse
--..-.-......-..-....-......
Semaphore
There are approximately 665 people named Michaelides in the UK. That makes it one of Britain's least common surnames. Only around ten in a million people in Britain are named Michaelides.
Famous people named Michaelides
- Andonis Michaelides - Cypriot-British musician (1958 to 2011)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.