Agapitos/Agapitou

[cressie]

Hi

I am looking for additional info for my grandfather's family. He was Agapitos Spiro Karasavas (also known as Agapitos Spiro Agapitos) and was born in Castellorizo although the family spent many years based in Russia pre the Revolution. He was the eldest son of Spiro Agapitos/Karasavas and Maria (nee Malaxos). His three other brothers all went by the surname of Agapitos whereas he used Karasava(s). His grandfather named his first son Savvas and the family story is that the Turks called him Kara-Savas (Kara meaning dark in Turkish). Then the nickname stuck!

One of my grandfather's brothers, Mihalis Agapitos, migrated with his family to Sydney and the descendants live there (with only one of these cousins, Michael Agapitos, living in Perth). The other brothers remained in Greece.

There was a chap living in Perth by the name of Agapitos Agapitou but he and his wife, Eudokia, had no children. There was also a Stamatis Agapitou who died in Perth in 1938 aged 88 yrs but there seems to be no associated family left here.

I am unsure if Agapitos and Agapitou relate to the same surname although it seems to be. I have also found a few Hatziagapitou and even Hagiagapitou in Australia who also hail from Castellorizo.

Today I had contact with a chap whose grandmother was believed to be an Konstantinia Agapitos/Agapitou who married Diomantis George Kailis in Castellorizo c1900. This has stirred my interest again in this family name. This Konstantinia may be my grandfather's aunt.

Would appreciate any relevant info on this family name. There are a few families in Melbourne who aslo go by this surname. I also have knowledge of a family of Agapitos from Naxos Greece so the name might be quite widespread.

Regards
Allan

[Administrator]

Allan,

'Agapitou' is merely the possessive (genitive) version of the male first name 'Agapitos', a name fairly common in the islands.

As far as I know, there were at least two distinct clans on Castellorizo which used the name 'Agapitos' as a permanent surname, sometimes interchangeably with their 'true' surname. There was the family you refer to (and belong to), and there was also an 'Agapitou' family from Livisi in Asia Minor that moved to the island after 1922. The teacher Triantafylia Agapitou, whom we see in many of the school photos of the period, married into this family.

But I have also found other examples of the children of (for example) an 'Agapitos' adopting the name 'Agapitou' as a surname, sometimes only for one generation. Commonly, males signed only with their first name and their father's name, and the naming of people thus became a fairly fluid thing, at least until the early twentieth century. So we must be cautious when drawing links between (supposed) family members. Castellorizo was a larger place than we sometimes imagine it to be...

I'll post more information on the Kailis/Agapitou marriage you refer to tomorrow.

Nicholas

[Administrator]

Diamantaris Yeorgiou Kailis was born on 15 February 1864. He married Konstandina Agapitou on 28 January 1901. He arrived in Australia alone on 21 June 1905, settling first in Perth for 5 months, and then in Day Dawn. He was naturalised in 1907 as 'Diamandi Kailis'.

Nicholas

[cressie]

Hi Nicholas

I am having a look again at my maternal grandfather's family and wonder if there is a dowry contract for the Kailis/Agapitou marriage on 28 January 1901. What I am looking for is the parents name of the bride, Konstandina Agapitou. I have yet to connect her to my family or have parents details.

Is there any other Agapitos/Agapitou (or Karasavas) Dowry contracts in Castellorizo during the available timeframe? My grandfather had three younger brothers:
Malaxos Agapitos (or Karasavas) married Evangelia Paspalis
Mihalis Agapitos (or Karasavas) married Anastasia Tsakounas (19 Feb 1922)
Evangelos Agapitos (or Karasavas) married Afrodite Efrossini

I have nothing on the ancestry of the wives and it would be great to know the parentage. My grandfather's only sister, Garifalia, married Tsicos Galettis and that family is well documented thanks to the late Basil Galettis of Sydney.

If you can assist that would be great.

Best wishes
Allan

[Administrator]

Allan,

Konstandina Agapitou , who married Diamantaris Yeorgiou Kailis on 28 January 1901, had a brother Nikolaos who signed for her on her dowry contract. This probably means that her parents had died at the time of her marriage. I do not believe there is a connection here to the Karasavas clan to which you are attached.

The details of the marriages of the Karasavas brothers are:

Malaxos married Despina Theodosiou Paspali on 28 April 1913.

Mihail married Anastasia Alexandrou Tsakouni on 19 February 1922. The bride's father, Alexandros Tsakounis, had died at the time of the marriage leaving his widowed wife, Aikaterini, to sign on the family's behalf.

There does not appear to be a dowry contract for Evangelos.

Nicholas

[cressie]

Hi Nicholas

Thanks for that info. Did the two brothers listed marry as Karasavas or Agapitos?

Evangelos could have married elsewhere as his family were (and are) based in Piraeus. Does her surname of Efrossini give a clue as to whether it could be a Cazzie name or not?

Thanks again for your assistance.

Allan

[Administrator]

Allan,

They both married as 'Karasavvas' and this appears to have been used commonly as their respective surnames.

The name 'Efrosynis' is not a name that appears in the archive of dowry contracts, though it is known (rarely) on the island. I will keep an eye out for you...

Nicholas

[zowie]

Hello,

I know a woman who's mother was from the island and her name whas dionysia agapitou.
If i understand it wright, the parents of dionysia where magdalena agapitou and agapitos agapitos.
I do not know if this fit somewhere.

regards,zowie