The History of Greek Communities in London

The History of London's Greek Population

Who would have thought that over 250 years later more than 150,000 Greek people would have made London their home? 

The arrival of the first Greeks in London came about as a result of the Ottoman rule of Greece when many people left their homeland.

Cyprus Comes to London

In the 1920s, after Cyprus became a British colony, many people left the island for London in search of a more prosperous life. 

Some found jobs in the catering industry whilst others opened their own cafés and restaurants. A large proportion of these people settled in Soho – hence Greek Street – but as post-war rents in Central London rose, the community tended to move out to places like Camden, Euston, Camberwell and Fulham.

Early 70s: London Enjoys a Greek-Cypriot Influx

In 1974 there was another major influx of Greek-Cypriots to London. Most joined relatives in areas already populated by the community and centred around the places of Greek Orthodox worship. 

Many of the existing community had also saved enough money to buy homes in areas such as Hackney, Haringey, Enfield and Southgate. 

Today some of the largest communities can be found in parts of North London such as Wood Green and Palmer's Green or Palmer's Greek as the locals call it!

London's Greek History: Did You Know?

• One in every six Greek-Cypriots lives in the United Kingdom.
• In the 1950s and 1960s more than 10% of Greece's population emigrated.
• In the Museum of London there is a charm against the plague written in Greek. It was found in Upper Thames Street in the City and is believed to have belonged to a 4th century AD Greek Londoner. The charm is inscribed on a piece of lead that would have been rolled up and worn around the neck on a thong.
• There has been a Greek presence in London since ancient times. In the 4th century BC, the famous navigator Pytheas wrote an account of a journey he had made to Britain in search of tin, a rare commodity in the eastern Mediterranean.