Filos last name popularity, history, and meaning

Find out how popular the last name Filos is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Filos.

Meaning of Filos

A Greek surname meaning "friend" or "beloved".

Filos, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Filos surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Filos in America

Filos is the 150452nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Filos surname appeared 109 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Filos.

The history of the last name Filos

The surname "FILOS" is of Greek origin, and it can be traced back to the ancient Greek language. The name is derived from the Greek word "philos," which means "friend" or "lover." It is believed that the surname was originally given to individuals known for their friendly and amicable nature.

In the early medieval period, the name "FILOS" was found in various regions of Greece, particularly in the Peloponnese and the Aegean islands. It was often used as a patronymic name, meaning that it was derived from the given name of the father or ancestor.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "FILOS" can be found in a 12th-century manuscript from the island of Crete. This manuscript contains a list of landowners and their properties, and the name "Nikolaos Filos" appears as one of the landowners.

In the 14th century, a notable figure bearing the surname "FILOS" was Andreas Filos, a scholar and philosopher from the city of Thessaloniki. He is known for his writings on logic and metaphysics, and his work was influential in the Byzantine intellectual circles of the time.

During the Ottoman period, the name "FILOS" was also found among the Greek communities living in the territories of the Ottoman Empire. One notable example is Georgios Filos, a merchant and philanthropist from the island of Chios, who lived in the late 18th century. He donated a significant portion of his wealth to support educational institutions and religious establishments in his hometown.

In the 19th century, a prominent figure with the surname "FILOS" was Ioannis Filos, a Greek politician and diplomat. He served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greece in the 1870s and played a crucial role in the negotiations leading to the annexation of Thessaly to the Kingdom of Greece.

Another notable individual with the surname "FILOS" was Nikolaos Filos (1866-1942), a Greek composer and musician. He was a pioneer of the Greek National School of Music and composed numerous works that incorporated traditional Greek folk melodies and rhythms.

Throughout history, the surname "FILOS" has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, merchants, politicians, and artists. While its origins can be traced back to ancient Greece, the name has become widely dispersed across different regions and cultures, reflecting the mobility and diversity of the Greek diaspora.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Filos

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Filos.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

  1. White only
  2. Black only
  3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
  4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
  5. Hispanic
  6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Filos was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 74.31% 81
Non-Hispanic Black Only 10.09% 11
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races (S)% (S)
Hispanic Origin 14.68% 16

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Filos was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Filos, please contact us.

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"Filos last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on May 6, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/filos-surname-popularity/.

"Filos last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/filos-surname-popularity/. Accessed 6 May, 2025

Filos last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/filos-surname-popularity/.

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