is the most ancient, accurate and widespread form of our Greek family name that we've discovered, so far.  It appears throughout the world and, along with its close variation, , represents the largest number of individuals with those spellings in the Ellis Island (USA) immigration records - representing hundreds of immigrants (each) versus only dozens for some other spellings.

is the Anglicized version of the Greek that appears to have been inscribed in stone in the ancient catacombs of Rome in the 3rd century AD on behalf of some highly regarded individuals buried therein.

The Greek language was to the ancient Roman Empire what English is to our modern world.  It was a Greek world, after all (at least around the Mediterranean), before the Romans came on the scene to begin conquering it all - all over again.  Up until the 2nd century or so, Roman citizens didn't even get involved in the mechanics of business operations - they just owned the land and other capital assets and rented them out to others.  Greeks continued running the 'business world' for several centuries.  So quite naturally, Greek was the common language used in everyday commerce and Greek businesses were predominant.

Greek was also the language used for inscriptions placed upon various surfaces that survived long enough for us to know about them.  It was the language used in the ancient hidden catacombs until Latin began replacing it around the 3rd century when Christianity was legalized.  It was the language used that gave our family history project proof that our family name had Greek roots.  We'd long suspected that but only had 'for real' genealogy that went back to the 16th century in Germany.

This webmaster suspects that all branches of our family are connected going back at least 2,000 years.  An Inheritance Chart prepared through Genetic Genealogy DNA testing will eventually be reflected at this web site once it is begun in the near future.  Contacts with prominent families in Greece might lead to some MAIN BRANCH genealogy already extant that goes back a couple thousand years or more.  Feb. 16, 2009

More than a twelve hundred (1,200) "possible" variations of the spelling of our family name are detailed at the spellings pages.  Go there to see where a branch may be concentrated or where various references have been found.  It appears that each spelling may spawn at least one alternative every century.  Given that our most ancient 'KYRIAKOU' surname began at least 20 centuries ago, that would mean 2 in the 1st century, 4 in the second, 8 in the 3rd until we reach 1,048,576 in the 20th and most recent century.

Of course, not all those surnames resulted in continuous male lines carrying the surname forward.  On the other hand, some centuries VERY LIKELY DID spawn many more than just two alternative spellings.  Suffice it to say, that when it comes to surname research, no stone should be left unturned - almost anything is possible.

Very Significant Spelling Changes

As of February 2009, from what we've found at various searching resource sites, the most common forms of the spelling of our surname, in order of their 'estimated' popularity, are:

Much of the information gathered and summarized at this web site is expanded upon at other web sites on the internet - links to those sites are indicated where appropriate.  Links to pages at this web site can be seen in any of the various Branches, FamilyHistoryProject or Newsletter menu boxes located at the bottom of almost every page.

[ 2/17/2009:  Many of those links may no longer work and are replaced or eliminated as they are discovered - look inside the source .HTML file to see some old dead links that may aide discovering as yet unfound replacement site.  Linking accuracy is a continuous and lengthy process that can consume all of one's time and energy.  New locations are reflected when they can be found.  Even many of the 'cached' pages at Google can no longer be found.  Eventually, someone like Google or Wikipedia will dedicate a server to old dead links where us Webmasters can place the new link locations so that the flow of information on the internet can remain seamless to users.

Larger type is used at this web site in order to help those who, like this webmaster have become senior citizens with eyesight not as effective as when we were in our prime.  Unlike commercial sites where most of the small type goes unread, the pages at this site are meant to be read in their entirety - especially by those unfamiliar with our family history.

This MAIN secular home page opens the general discussion regarding our family name.  Another Christian home page covers information exclusive to the Christian history associated with our family name.  Many spellings of our surname can be verified by going to the spellings pages.  Some names may appear only there or in the bibliography.  Many others can be found throughout this web site.

[ First name references are included in order to minimize repeated visits to the sites where they appear in an attempt to find last name references.  Most can be presumed to be unrelated to our family history but do prove the popularity of the name throughout the world.  In 2007, it was discovered that there are more than 400 churches dedicated to St. Cyriakus/Cyriacus in Germany, alone.]

An index of Roman names and naming conventions (http://www.fairacre.demon.co.uk/Ancient-World/Rome/Rome.htm) indicates that Cyriacus was one used in commemoration of famous battles or war campaigns?!  It also reflects Cyricus, without the 'a', as a ?nickname? used in ancient times.

One online site has

... Greek kyriake, meaning "belonging to the Lord (kyrios)," from which the English word "church" is derived.

We've yet to find anything referring to the name before around 64 A.D.  (There has been little, if any, research done 'by this family history project' on the name in ancient Greece, in Greek or otherwise, so the lack of any discovery earlier than 64 A.D. is not significant.)  The earliest written (inscribed in stone) reference to the name found, so far, is represented in the image file that can be seen to the right when one places the mouse over that or this link.

That and similar 'Greek' inscriptions were placed next to burial sites in the underground catacombs from the late 2nd to the early 4th centuries when Christianity was illegal and forced underground both figuratively and literally.  The inscription shown is assumed to be from the latter period of time when Christianity was 'de facto' if not 'de jure' legal in Rome - thereby motivating the pagan 'powers that be' of the time to be especially harsh against Rome and its mostly Christian citizens in the first decade of the 4th century.

Eventually, especially after the FINAL Great Persecution (303~309±) by Diocletian at the beginning of the 4th century, Latin became more 'official' than Greek.  The latinized form of Cyriaca is Domnica/Dominica.  (good discussion page)

This means that, if the name didn't appear before the first century, it may have been used to identify individuals dedicating themselves to Jesus Christ, "the Lord" and Christianity.  After the apostles but before the priests or presbyters, there may have been Christians called Cyriaca or Cyriacus who were so active in the movement that their de facto title evolved into their de jure family name.  That the Apostle Paul visited and evangelized in Corinth, Greece is a fact - whether he connected with already extant Cyriac Family members or began the process where the Cyriac or Kyriacou term began referring to his converts is another mystery in need of resolution.
[ It also appears that the pre-4th century, illegal, Rome based Church was Greek oriented - with almost all of the Rome based adherents thereto dying before 310 A.D.  The legal Rome based Church, rebuilt upon the ashes of its predecessor from 313 onward, was Latinized from inception.  As indicated previously, not much has been researched about how the Greek Orthodox Church fared before, during and after the FINAL Great Persecution of 303 ~ 310 A.D.  One thing seems obvious though:  more individuals with variations of the Cyriac surname are referenced by the Greek and other eastern rite churches than the Roman and western rite churches. ]