Kapetanopoulos

Kapetanopoulos is a Greek surname. It is often transliterated as Kapetanopoulos, Kapetanopoulis, or Kapetanopoulas. The name derives from the Greek kapetanos, meaning captain, combined with the patronymic suffix -opoulos, which denotes "descendant of" or "son of." Historically, the surname likely originated as an occupational or status designation for families associated with a captain or serving in a captain's retinue, later becoming a hereditary family name.

Today, Kapetanopoulos is most common in Greece and among Greek communities abroad. Within Greece, the name is found across urban and coastal regions and is particularly associated with areas that had strong maritime or military traditions. Among the global Greek diaspora, communities in the United States, Canada, Australia, and several Western European countries include individuals bearing the surname. Spelling variations arise from transliteration from Greek to Latin characters and dialectal pronunciation; common variants include Kapetanopoulas and Kapetanopoulis.

As with many surnames, numerous people share the name, spanning fields such as academia, business, culture, and sports; however, no single person with the surname Kapetanopoulos is universally singled out in major biographical references.