Save Type Surname (from given name) Usage Greek Scripts Κοντογιάννης(Greek) Pronounced Pron. /ˌkɒn.toʊ.ˈjɑː.nɪs/ [key·simplify] Other Forms FormsKontogiannis, Kontoyiannis, Kontogiannes, Kontoyiannes Meaning & History Means "short John" in Greek from κοντοσ (kontos) (see Kontos) meaning short combined with the forename Gianis which is the Modern Greek variant of John.