Spiro is a surname with a variety of origins, as well as a given name among Greek-speaking populations, Albanians, Montenegrins, Macedonians and the Christians of Lebanon.
As a Greek name, Spiro may also be spelled Spyro. It comes from the Greek Spiros/Spyros/Speros (Greek: Σπύρος), with a nominative final "s" that is usually dropped when Anglicised. It is a male given name fairly common in Greek-speaking population (Greece especially in Corfu whose patron saint is Saint Spyridon, in Cyprus, Greek diaspora) as well as among the Christians of Lebanon where it is a common first and last name. It is a shortened form of the archaic-sounding Spyridon (Σπυρίδων), which means in ancient Greek "basket used to carry seeds" (Σπυρί, grain, seed). The Greek diminutives for Spirydon is, Pipi (Πίπης ) and Pipeto (Πιπέτο).
Špiro is also a male Montenegrin name.
In Germany, the surname Spiro originated as a corruption of Speyer, the name of a town in the Rhineland. It is one of a number of Jewish surnames that originated this way, along with the better-known Shapiro.
People with the surname Spiro include:
Alyson Spiro, British actressEllen Spiro (b. 1964), American documentary filmmakerEugene Spiro (1874–1972), German and American painterGyörgy Spiró (b. 1946), Hungarian dramatist, novelist and essayistHarold Spiro (1925–1996), English songwriterHerbert Spiro (1924–2010), German-born American political scientistJordana Spiro (b. 1977), American actressLev L. Spiro, American film and television directorKarl Spiro (1867–1932), German biologist and physical chemistMark Spiro, American songwriter, musician, and record producerMelford Spiro (b. 1920), American cultural anthropologistPeter Spiro, American legal scholarSamantha Spiro (b. 1968), British actorSamuel Spiro (?-1814), Greek-born Argentine naval captainARA Spiro (P-43), the corvette of the Argentine Navy named after Samuel SpiroStephen Spiro (1939–2007), American political activistPeople with the given name Spiro include:
Spiro Agnew (1918–1996), thirty-ninth Vice President of the United StatesSpyros Gogolos, Greek footballerSpyros Kastanas, Cypriot footballerSpyros Kyprianou (1932–2002), former President of CyprusSpiros Latsis, Greek businessmanSpiros Livathinos (b. 1955), Greek football player, coach, and current head scoutSpyridon Louis (1873–1940), Greek gold medallist of the first modern Olympic MarathonSpiros Louis Stadium, the Athens Olympic Stadium named after LouisSpiros Marangos, Greek footballerSpiros Markezinis (1909–2000), Greek politicianSpyros Moustakas, Greek writerSpyros Paliouras, Greek writerSpyros B. Pavlides, Greek geologistSpyros Samaras (1861–1917), Greek composer of the Olympic AnthemPaul Spyros Sarbanes (b. 1933), former US Senator representing MarylandSpyros Skouras (1893–1971), Greek-American chairman of Twentieth Century Fox from 1942 to 1962Spyros Spyromilios, Greek Gendarmerie officerSpyros Vallas (b. 1981), Greek football playerSpiros Velentzas, American Greek Mob BossSpiros Vondas, fictional character on the HBO drama The WireSpyros Vrettos, Greek poetSpiros Zodhiates, Greek-American author