Sicilian surnames are those found in the region of Sicily in Italy, as well as in some parts of the rest of the country and the Italian diaspora. Sicily is the Italian region with the highest percentage of native population, and nearly 90 percent of its surnames are family names typical of the island.[1]
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History of Sicilian surnames
The history of Sicily is that of a region or a continent, as we like to call it because of its complexity and variety, in which over the centuries many populations have succeeded one another, leaving indelible traces everywhere. [2]
The etymology of sicilian surnames reflects the different presences that have succeeded one another over the centuries. Thus, one can recognize surnames of Greek, Latin, Byzantine, Arabic, Norman, Germanic, Central-Northern Italian, Albanian, Spanish and toponymic origin[1]
Sicilian surnames conventions
The origins of Sicilian surnames derive mainly from personal names, so-called patronymics, but also from trades, nicknames and places of origin.[1]
- Onomastic (coming from a proper name)
- Locative (from a place of origin),
- Derived from an occupational origin
- Qualifying adjectives describing a person
Sicilian surnames coming from a proper name
Sicilian surnames of occupational origin
There are quite a few Sicilian surnames based on the occupation of the first bearer,[1] like Cavallaro (related to horses), Finocchiaro, Spadaro and Spataro (related to sword), Balistreri, Ferraro, Maniscalco (related to blacksmith), Cannizzaro, Cammareri (waiter), Scuderi (from squire) and Impellizzeri (from furrier).
Sicilian surnames from nicknames or qualifying adjectives
Some Sicilian surnames are based on descriptive aspects of a person,[1] like Occhipinti (painted eyes), Quattrocchi (four eyes), Mancuso (from left-handed) and Pappalardo (from gluttonous).
Sicilian surnames for foundling kids:[1]
Sicilian surnames from a place of origin
Sicilian surnames linked the auspicious names
There are a number of Sicilian surnames originated in the Middle Ages, which are based on auspicious names,[1] like Bongiorno (good morning), Bonasera (good night), Bonfiglio (good son), Bonanno (good year), Bonsignore (good Sir), Bonaccorso, Bellomo (handsome man);
Sicilian most widespread surnames
The most common Sicilian surnames[1] are known to be Biondi and its many variants ranging from Biondo to Bionda, from Biondelli to Biondini and Bionducci, probably related to trichological features. Bivona, Barbagallo - from east Sicily, derived, probably, from somatic characteristics of the progenitor or hairstyles with the bizarre shape of the rooster's crest - Ingrassia and Ingarsia – spread in the area of Trapani, Palermo and Catania probably arriving from an Italian version of the Spanish surname Garcia that is the most spread surname in Spain.
Also, the following Sicilian surnames are widely known:[3] Marino; Giordano; Ferrante; Russo; Gambino; Arena; Cucinotta; Donato; Giuffrida; Grasso; Rizzo; Caruso; Privitera; Savoca; Di Dio; Messina; Amico; Falzone; Lombardo; Vella; Romano; Bottaro; Greco; Occhipinti; Gurrieri; Bonsignore; Bellomo; Cavallaro; Finocchiaro; Spadaro; Di Stefano; Pappalardo.
Sicilian surnames from Greek origin
Some Sicilian surnamed originated in the centuries-long Greek occupation of Sicily, and are easily identifiable by their unusual ending, like -ò, mainly for nicknames Cannavò (grey the hemp colour), Spanò (hairless), Crifò (hide, secret), Sgrò and Isgrò (curly) and Aricò (wild).
There are also other Sicilian surnames of Greek origin ending with -à, related to occupational and individual qualities: Cannistrà (basket producers), Laganà (herbes vendor) and Saccà ‘(bags bearer), as well as surnames of toponymic origin, some of these finishing with -eo (as Messineo ‘from Messina’ or Cutruneo ‘from Crotone’), finishing with -iti (as Pelleriti ‘from Pellaro-Reggio Calabria, Paterniti ‘from Paternò) finishing with -oti and -otti (Sidoti ‘from Scido, Minioto from Mineo..) and those finishing with -itano (Gancitano from Gangi or Sciacchitano from Sciacca)
Sicilian surnames of Arabic origin
The island of Sicily was under Arab control between the years 831 and 1091, which left a mark on the island's language and culture. Among the surnames of Arabian origin the most common in Sicily are Macaluso (freed slave) Zappalà (with Allah power), Mulè (owner), Morabito (hermit).
Among the Sicilian surnames are very common the ones with the articles La, Lo and Li.
Finally, the prefixation of some surnames should be mentioned; they are exclusively Sicilian In-, Inter- and Intra- and indicate membership or entry into a family Intraina, Incorvaia, Ingrassia, Interbartolo, Interdonato, Interguglielmi, Interlando, Internicola, Intersimone, Intraguglielmo, Intraliggi (‘of Luigi’).
Famous people from Sicily
In Sicily were born:[4]
- Writers: Luigi Pirandello (Nobel), Giovanni Verga, salvatore Quasimodo, Elio Vittorini, Leonardo Sciascia, Andrea Camilleri
- Music writers: Vincenzo Bellini, Alessandro Scarlatti
- Painters: Renato Guttuso, Antonello da Messina
- Movie directors: Frank Capra and Giuseppe Tornatore
- Fashion designer Dolce from Dolce e Gabbana
- Andrea Camilleri: Italian writer (Porto Empedocle, Agrigento, 1925 - Rome 2019).[5] Camilleri made his debut in fiction with the novel “Il corso delle cose” (1978). In 1994, with “La forma dell’acqua”, he started the successful series of Commissario Montalbano, continued with numerous novels and short stories that became a very famous TV series.
- Frank Capra: Film director,[5] naturalized U.S. citizen, born in Bisacquino (Palermo) May 18, 1897, and died in La Quinta (California) Sept. 3, 1991. Capturing the moods of his time, he contrasted the corruption of political and economic power with the resilience and rebellion of the individual, the bearer of those traditional values thought to be typical of provincial America. And he turned the ordinary, shy and fragile man (preferably played by James Stewart or Gary Cooper) into the hero of his socially oriented comedies. Hailed in the 1930s and 1940s as Hollywood's most beloved director, whose name was a guarantee of success confirmed by the Oscars he won and by critical acclaim, he was later pointed to as the originator of a cinema bent on exploiting the corny sentimentality and facile demagoguery characteristic of what came to be called the Capracorn era.
- Domenico Dolce: Italian fashion designer born in 1958 in Polizzi Generosa, Palermo.[5] After approaching the fashion world at a very young age working in his father's clothing company, he moved to Milan in 1980. In 1981 he met S. Gabbana (v.) with whom, in 1984, he opened a style consulting firm. In 1985 Dolce and Gabbana presented their first women's ready-to-wear collection at Milano Collezioni Nuovi talenti. From the very beginning, Domenico's origins have influenced the style of the label, which has among its common threads the warm, Mediterranean femininity of Sicilian women.
Explore more about Sicilian surnames
- Andiamo! Finding Your Italian Family webinar on Legacy Family Tree Webinars
- Long Distance Italian Genealogy Research webinar on Legacy Family Tree Webinars
- La Madre Chiesa – Italian Catholic Parish Records webinar on Legacy Family Tree Webinars
- From Venezia to Catania: the Basics of Italian Research webinar on Legacy Family Tree Webinars
- Researching Your Italian Ancestors webinar on Legacy Family Tree Webinars
- Sicilian Surnames Search Engine
- Sicilian Surnames - History and Onomatology
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 https://archeologiasicilia.wordpress.com/2020/10/21/i-cognomi-greci-di-sicilia/
- ↑ https://ilsicilia.it/alla-scoperta-dei-cognomi-siciliani/
- ↑ https://ilsicilia.it/alla-scoperta-dei-cognomi-siciliani/
- ↑ https://www.italybyevents.com/sicilia/chi-e-nato-in-sicilia-personaggi-famosi/
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 https://www.treccani.it