What’s in the Gharios name? My Gharios family is a relatively small family in the Lebanon. The name sounds more Greek than Arabic and for many years, Lebanese and foreign people alike were surprised when I told them that I am Lebanese. In addition to the Gharios family in Mazraat El-Seyad (Aboud) there are at least two other Gharios families: One in Amchit, a coastal town North of Jbeil,from whom the Guerios of Brasil may be descended (see below). The other family live predominantly in the Cheyah area, on the outskirts of Beirut, who do not seem to be related. During my travels across the world I came face to face with Cypriot and Greek people who have similar names and was intrigued by the possibility that the name may have originated not far away from Lebanon. This Web site has been a major link with the Gharios family worldwide. Gerson Guerios, a distant cousin perhaps, wanted to trace his grandfather’s family. He wrote to me: “My grandfather Zacarias Jose Guerios came from Amchit and arrived at Brazil in 1890, The name Guerios was written in Portuguese starting from the pronunciation in French of the name Gharios. My father Guerios Zacarias Guerios was born in Brazil in 1916. I was born in 1951 and now I live in the city of Curitiba, in the South of Brazil”. Isn’t it ironic that one of my first cousin’s name is Gharios Gharios, the same as Gerson’s Dad!!The variation in the writing of the name, may depend on the way it is pronounced in the country of final destination. Therefore, Gharios, Bou-Gharios, Garios and Guerios may be one and the same.	Please click for larger version Please click for larger version
Since the launch of this web site many people provided new information on the origin of the name. Georges Gharios from Cheyah, Lebanon wrote and said: "I have some important and verified information about the name GHARIOS: It is the name of Saint Gurias of Edessa (Syria), martyr of the IV century, he died in 305 AD. The martyr Gurias (or Guria) was an ascetic at Edessa, and nothing is known of his life before his arrest during the persecutions of Diolcletian. He and his friend, Samonas (or Shamuma), were, according to Jacob of Serugh, old men at the time of their martyrdom. The pair are said to have endured three days of torture, including having been hung upside down, before Musonius, the procurator of Antioch, ordered them beheaded. The fellow ascetics were buried together. Deacon Habib, a martyr under Licinius, is said to have been buried in their tomb and is honored with them. They will be the subject since the VI century of a largely nowadays forgotten important worship. In the last century, this first name was widely present in Lebanon like almost all the saints names (Antoine, Georges, Elias, Joseph….) it’s sure that one of your grand grand fathers was named “Gharios something” but the generations after him took his first name as family name like we found today in Lebanon the family names GEORGES, ELIAS"…We celebrate Saint Gurias the 15^th of November. In Edessa, they have since the fifth century a church inside the city and in Lebanon we can visit the Church of Mar Gharios (Saint Gurias) in Jouar el Bawacheq near Achkout in Mount Lebanon. Dr Danny Malouf, a Lebanese anthropologist who was born in Michigan, USA has provided even more detailed links of the Gharios family to the Ghassanids. The Ghassanid kingdom was an ally of the Byzantine Empire. More accurately the kings can be described as phylarchs, native rulers of subject frontier states. The capital was at Jabiyah in the Golan Heights. Geographically, it occupied much of Syria, Mount Hermon (Lebanon), Palestine, Jordan and the northern Hijaz as far south as Yathrib (Medina). As a consequence of this, I have enclosed a synopsis of the Ghassanids and links to the Gharios family in Cheyah. (Click the relevant hyperlink to get the information) The search continues…. It is now possible to verify any of these claims by following a genetic approach which I have illustrated with my own DNA It is my intention to elucidate these facts and search for clues as to the origin of these names. If you can help, please contact us
See also the Gharios family crest