Various record collections from areas in Greece have been microfilmed and are available to the public through the FamilySearch Library and its more than 4,700 Family History Centers throughout the world. To locate the one closest to you, click here.

To find a Greek microfilm,  you will need to know the village, district, and county of your ancestor. The following explains the geographic divisions in Greece:

Greece is divided geographically into 9 main regions:
1.  Central Greece and Euvoia
2.  Peloponnese
3.  Ionian islands
4.  Thessaly
5.  Epirus
6.  Macedonia
7.  Thrace
8.  Aegean Islands
9.  Crete

Each of these 9 main regions is divided into “Counties” called Nomos.

Each of the nomos is divided into “Districts” called Eparhia.

Each Eparhia is divided into “Municipalities” called Dimos. A Dimos may include surrounding villages.

Prior to 1999, there was a division called “Community” or Koinotis. In 1999, all “communities” were dissolved and incorporated into the larger “Municipalities” or Dimos.

In order to determine if the FamilySearch Library has a Greek film of interest to you, you will need to identify the following information:

1.  The village
2.  The Dimos (municipality) to which the village belonged when the record was created
3.  The Eparhia (district) to which the Dimos belonged when the record was created.
4.  The Nomos (county) to which the Eparhia (municipality) belonged when the record was created.

You must also know the full, original Greek surname; for example: not Pappas, but Papadopoulos.

Records That May Give You Name & Village

• Census (1900, 1910, 1920, 1930 ask specific immigration & naturalization questions)
• Marriage (U.S. and Greek Church)
• Baptismal Records (Greek Church)
• Immigration (Passenger Ship)
• Naturalization (Declaration of Intention & Petition for Naturalization)
• Social Security Application (original and computerized)
• World War I & II registration cards
• Death Certificate (beware of informant’s possible misinformation)
• Obituary
• Tombstones
• Photographs

After you have determined the original Greek surname and village, check to see if FamilySearch has a digitized microfilm for your location. Check the FamilySearch catalog for Greece.

Digital images can be viewed at any FamilySearch Center. Find the one closest to you at this link.