Surnames in Sicily, Italy
The lists of surnames were derived from the white pages of the 1990's for the recent lists, and from sources as indexes of births, "numerazioni", catasti onciari, parish records for previous centuries. Surnames in the Provinces of Sicilia
Agrigento
- Updates: Naro | Racalmuto | Sambuca di Sicilia
Caltanissetta
- Updates: Mussomeli | Santa Caterina Villarmosa | Sommatino
Catania
- Updates: Militello in Val di Catania | Santa Venerina | Ramacca | Trecastagni
Enna
- Updates:Troina | Pietraperzia | Agira | Regalbuto
Messina
- Updates: Santo Stefano di Camastra | Alì Terme | Brolo | Spadafora | Santa Lucia del Mela | Acquedolci
Palermo
- Updates:Caccamo | Santa Flavia | Piana degli Albanesi | Campofelice di Roccella
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Sections on Italian Genealogy
Family History
Need help in your research?Surnames Divided by Region
Abruzzo | Basilicata | Calabria | Campania | Emilia-Romagna | Friuli-Venezia Giulia | Lazio | Liguria | Lombardia | Marche | Molise | Piemonte | Puglia | Sardegna | Sicilia | Toscana | Trentino-Alto Adige | Umbria | Valle d'Aosta | Veneto
Info on Italian Regions
Abruzzo | Basilicata | Calabria | Campania | Emilia-Romagna | Friuli-Venezia Giulia | Latium | Liguria | Lombardy | Marche | Molise | Piedmont | Puglia | Sardinia | Sicily | Tuscany | Trentino-Alto Adige | Umbria | Valle d'Aosta | Veneto
Ragusa
- Updates: Santa Croce Camerina | Acate
Siracusa
- Updates: Palazzolo Acreide | Melilli | Sortino | Buccheri | Canicattini Bagni
Trapani
- Updates: Pantelleria | Calatafimi Segesta | Petrosino | Santa Ninfa | San Vito Lo Capo
Common Surnames
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The most common surnames in Sicily are:
- over 5000: Russo;
- 3,000-4,000: Caruso, Lombardo, Marino, Messina, Rizzo;
- 2,000-3,000: Amato, Arena, Costa, Grasso, Greco, Romano, Parisi, Puglisi, La Rosa, Vitale;
- 1,500-2,000: Bruno, Catalano, Pappalardo, Randazzo.
- See also Wikipedia's page
Origin of Surnames
As regards their origin, Sicilian surnames reflect the presence of multiple cultures, languages and influences, but also share common features with the rest of Southern Italy; indeed, many surnames are also common in Calabria (Caruso, Lombardo, Marino, Rizzo), Puglia (Giuffrida, Greco, Longo) and Campania (Bruno, Ferrara, Giordano, Marino, Romano, Russo).
- The most common patronymics are Basile, Di Mauro, Di Salvo, Di Stefano, Giuffrida, Leonardi, Orlando, Vitale.
- Others derive from medieval names, mostly augural, such as Bellomo, Bonaccorso, Bonanno, Bonfiglio, Bongiorno, Bonsignore.
- Among the surnames derived from crafts we have Balistreri (=crossbow maker), Cannizzaro (=thatched roof maker), Cammareri (=waiter), Cavallaro, Ferraro, Finocchiaro (=farmer of fennels), Impellizzeri (=fur maker), Maniscalco, Scuderi (=squire), Spadaro - Spataro (=sword maker), Vaccaro.
- Surnames derived from nicknames are Mancuso (=left-handed), Occhipinti (=painted eyes), Pappalardo (=lard eater), Quattrocchi (=four eyed).
- Common surnames related to the place of origin are Calabrese, Catalano, Cosentino, Genovese, Provenzano, Puglisi, Toscano, Tarantino.
- Finally, there are surnames given to foundlings, such as Di Dio or Trovato, and matronymics (connected to an ancestress) such as Alessandra, Emma, Greca.