Would you believe that nearly everyone has the same name here?

Hi zhuhuifen, when I said they are identified by some characteristic I really meant that in order to identify whom you are speaking about you will add something distincive to describe them, hence 'fat Nikos', 'bald Nikos' 'Nikos from such and such place' which would refer to the village they originated from rather than the village they live in now, people are identified thus by their hair colour, lack of teeth, relatives etc. Of course not everyone uses the same descriptions but most are generally acknowledged, but hell would break loose if the people described ever knew they were being described as such!

Thanks for adding me on the list.

Hi Checkmail, the shortening of names here just adds to the general confusion. Panioytis can be Takis or Panos but different people will refer to him by each shortened version. I was talking with a friend the other day and someone was mentioned by name and they didn't know who I meant - I said the brother of Takis but that just didn't narrow it down at all as between us we must know at least ten people with the name of Takis who also sometimes go under the name Panioytis.

Hi Iriene, it is interesting that you are breaking away from the traditional culture of naming faster than we are, here families will fall out if the tradition is broken. Everyone having the same few names though seems to be prevalent in both our cultures, Tan for Tasos, Ali for Andonis, Sammi for Sortiris. It's quite funny really, and also the way that you then identify them by their trade or a family member, it is almost the same here except that we tend to use physical characteristics, so we often have white or black in front of a name which may describe someone by their hair colour. I don't know what will happen when Black Vangellis ages a little more and his hair becomes white as then we will have two White Vangellis in the village and may have to move onto another physical characterstic to describe them. Thea.