Italian Surnames of Sicily – Origins, Meanings & Heritage

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Your surname may be the oldest thing you own. It was carried across the Atlantic in the steerage hold of a steamship, recorded by a hurried clerk at Ellis Island, and passed down through four generations of a family who never forgot where they came from. If your family traces its roots to the island at the southern tip of Italy, this guide to Italian surnames from Sicily will help you understand not just the name on your family tree — but the world that created it.

Sicily is not like the rest of Italy. It is its own civilisation — layered, ancient, and marked by two and a half millennia of conquest, trade, and survival. Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Normans, Spaniards, and Bourbons each ruled the island and left their imprint on its people. That layered history is encoded, remarkably, in Sicilian surnames. To understand your family name is to walk through the history of one of the Mediterranean’s most extraordinary crossroads.

Why Italian Surnames from Sicily Are Unlike Any Others in Italy

Most Italian surnames developed during the medieval period, when governments and the Catholic Church began requiring stable family names for census and tax records. In Sicily, that process was complicated by the island’s unique history. By the time surnames were formalised in the 15th and 16th centuries, Sicily had already absorbed waves of Greek settlers, Arab rulers, Norman knights, and Aragonese noblemen.

The result is a surname pool unlike anything found in northern Italy. Sicilian last names draw from Latin, Greek, Arabic, French, and Spanish — a linguistic fingerprint of every civilisation that ever called the island home. When you research your Sicilian family name, you are not just doing genealogy. You are doing archaeology.

If you want to go deeper into the records themselves, our guide to how to trace your Italian ancestry explains exactly where to find birth, marriage, and death records going back centuries.

The Most Common Italian Surnames from Sicily — and What They Mean

Here are 15 of the most widespread Sicilian surnames, their origins, and the stories behind them.

1. Russo

The single most common surname in Sicily. Russo derives from the Latin russus, meaning red or auburn — originally a nickname for someone with reddish hair or a ruddy complexion. It is the Sicilian and southern Italian equivalent of the English surname “Reed” or “Rudd.” You will find Russo families concentrated in Catania, Palermo, and throughout the Agrigento province.

2. Lombardo

Paradoxically, Lombardo — meaning “one from Lombardy” — is one of Sicily’s most common surnames. It traces back to the Norman period, when King Roger II brought settlers from northern Italy to repopulate areas of Sicily after Arab rule. Lombardo families spread throughout the island, and today Sicilian-Americans named Lombardo far outnumber anyone named Lombardo in Lombardy itself.

3. Greco

Greco simply means “Greek.” Sicily was a major centre of ancient Greek civilisation — Syracuse was one of the most powerful Greek cities in the Mediterranean, rivalling Athens. After the Arab conquest, Christian Greeks who remained on the island were distinguished from their Arab neighbours by this surname. Today, Greco families are concentrated in Catania, Syracuse, and Messina — the old Greek heartland of Sicily.

4. Rizzo

From the Italian rizzo, meaning curly-haired. A classic Sicilian nickname surname, given to someone with distinctively curly hair. It is one of the most recognisable surnames in the Sicilian diaspora — particularly in Brooklyn, where Rizzo families arrived in large numbers between 1890 and 1920.

5. Ferraro

From the Latin ferrarius — a blacksmith or ironworker. Occupational surnames like Ferraro were among the earliest to be formalised, as craftsmen needed to be identified for guild records and taxation. Ferraro is the Sicilian and southern Italian form of the northern Italian Ferrari. In America, both forms are common, and families sometimes shifted between spellings across generations.

6. Bruno

From the Germanic brun, meaning brown or dark-complexioned. This surname arrived in Sicily with the Normans, who brought Germanic names from their French territories. Bruno is also found as a given name in medieval Sicilian records, which later became a hereditary family name.

7. Marino

“Of the sea.” In an island civilisation, this was an inevitable surname — given to fishermen, sailors, and those who lived by the coast. Marino families are concentrated in coastal towns like Trapani, Marsala, Mazara del Vallo, and the fishing villages around Catania. The surname is also linked to the early Christian martyr Saint Marinus, making it partly devotional in origin.

8. Gallo

Gallo means rooster, and like many animal nickname surnames it referred to someone with rooster-like qualities — pride, boldness, a commanding presence. It may also derive from “Gaul” — a reference to Norman or French settlers who came to Sicily during the 12th century. Both origins coexist in Sicilian records, and it is often impossible to determine which applies without knowing the specific family’s location.

9. Catalano

Meaning “Catalan” or “from Catalonia,” this surname records Sicily’s long period of Aragonese and Spanish rule. The island was part of the Crown of Aragon from 1282 to 1713, and many Catalan merchants, soldiers, and administrators settled permanently. Catalano families are particularly common in Palermo and Agrigento provinces.

10. Caruso

From the Sicilian carusu, meaning a young man with close-cropped hair — historically, a term for mine workers’ assistants who had their heads shaved to avoid lice in the sulphur mines. The name is inseparable from Enrico Caruso (1873–1921), the Neapolitan tenor who became the first operatic superstar of the recording age, and whose fame spread the name around the world.

11. Amato

From the Latin amatus, “beloved.” This was both a devotional name (Mary, the beloved of God) and an affectionate personal nickname that became a family surname. Amato families are found throughout western Sicily, particularly in the Trapani and Palermo provinces.

12. Farina

“Flour” or “flour miller.” An occupational surname given to those who milled or sold grain. In a society where bread was the foundation of daily life, the miller was a figure of central importance — and his family name reflected it. Farina is common in inland Sicilian towns near historic grain-producing areas.

Arabic Surnames from Sicily: The Island’s Hidden Heritage

Between 827 and 1072 AD, Sicily was ruled by Arab Emirs. The period left lasting marks on Sicilian culture — its architecture, its cuisine, its vocabulary, and its surnames. Many Sicilians with Arabic-derived family names are unaware of this heritage. Here are some of the most distinctive:

Faraci

From the Arabic al-Faraj, meaning “relief” or “salvation.” This surname is found almost exclusively in Sicily and is one of the clearest markers of Arab descent on the island. It is concentrated in the Catania province.

Alaimo

Derived from the Arabic al-Hakim, meaning “the wise one” or “the physician.” This was a title of great respect in medieval Arab society. Alaimo families are found throughout central Sicily.

Cammarata

From the Arabic Qamarat — “moonlit place.” The town of Cammarata in Agrigento province carries this name, and families from the area took it as their surname. The moon imagery reflects the beauty of the Sicilian hill country under a full moon.

Cuffaro

Of disputed Arabic origin, possibly from kuffar (unbelievers — used by Arabs to describe Christians who remained on the island after the Muslim conquest). It is now one of Sicily’s distinctive surnames and is found in the Agrigento and Caltanissetta areas.

Greek-Origin Sicilian Surnames

The Greek presence in Sicily predates the Arab conquest by over a thousand years. Some surnames carry this extraordinary deep heritage:

Cristaudo

From the Greek Christodoulos, meaning “servant of Christ.” This devotional name was common among the Greek Christian communities that remained in Sicily after the Arab conquest. It is found primarily in Messina and Catania provinces — the eastern Greek heartland.

Pappalardo

A wonderfully expressive compound: from the Greek papas (priest) and the Latin/Italian lardo (lard or fat). “The fat priest.” It began as a colourful medieval nickname — perhaps for a priest known for his love of food — and became a hereditary surname. It is common in Palermo and Catania.

Tripodo

From the Greek tripous, a tripod or three-legged stand. This was likely an occupational or locational surname. It remains common in Messina province and the Calabrian coast opposite.

Migration Patterns: Sicilian Surnames in America

Between 1880 and 1924, more than four million Italians emigrated to the United States. The majority came from the south — and the largest single group came from Sicily. They arrived at Ellis Island, and their names — already unfamiliar to American ears — were frequently misspelled, simplified, or transformed by immigration officers working rapidly through thousands of arrivals each day.

Common Sicilian name changes at Ellis Island included:

• Russo became Russell or Ross
• Greco became Green, Grey, or Greco
• Lombardo became Lambert or remained Lombardo
• Ferraro became Ferro or Ferrari
• Bruno became Brown

If you are searching for your ancestor’s original name, it is worth searching Sicilian civil records under multiple spelling variants. The Antenati portal — the Italian government’s free genealogy database — includes Sicilian records going back to 1820 and is searchable in English.

Sicilian immigrants settled in specific areas of American cities:

• New York City: Bensonhurst (Brooklyn), East Harlem, the South Bronx
• New Jersey: Newark, Trenton, and the Hudson County towns
• New Orleans: A large Sicilian community built around the docks; families named Marasa, Cusimano, and Tusa are particularly associated with this city
• San Francisco: North Beach neighbourhood had a strong Sicilian fishing community
• Buffalo, New York: Large Sicilian and southern Italian working-class community

The Sicilian story in America is also part of the broader story of why Americans are returning to find the villages their families left behind — a journey that is becoming increasingly common, and increasingly moving.

Visiting Your Sicilian Ancestral Roots

If your surname appears in this guide, there may well be a village in Sicily where your family name still appears on doorposts, in church registers, and on graves in the local cemetery. Sicily’s forgotten fishing villages and hilltop towns are among the most emotionally powerful places for heritage visitors anywhere in the world.

Here are the key sites for Sicilian heritage research and travel:

Palermo

The island’s capital holds the State Archives of Palermo (Archivio di Stato di Palermo), which contains civil records from 1820 and older notarial documents going back centuries. The city itself is extraordinary — the Norman Palace, the Cappella Palatina, and the chaotic energy of the Ballarò market all speak to Sicily’s layered civilisations. Walking Palermo is walking through your family’s deep past.

Agrigento

The Valley of Temples — a UNESCO World Heritage site — stands as the most dramatic reminder of Sicily’s Greek heritage. If your surname is Greco, Cristaudo, or Tripodo, there is a real possibility that your ancestors lived near these very temples two thousand years ago. The local civil records office holds registers for all the towns of Agrigento province.

Erice

This perfectly preserved medieval hilltop village near Trapani feels suspended in time. With surnames like Amato, Gallo, and Catalano common in the area, Erice rewards a slow visit — walk the cobblestoned lanes, visit the Norman castle, and look for family names carved into the stone doorways of its ancient houses.

Ragusa and Noto

These two UNESCO-listed baroque cities in south-eastern Sicily were rebuilt after the catastrophic earthquake of 1693. Their spectacular baroque architecture — all honey-coloured stone — reflects the determination of Sicilian families to rebuild and endure. Both towns’ civil archives hold superb records, and the local communities are generally welcoming to heritage visitors.

Planning your heritage trip? Our complete guide to planning a trip to Italy from the US covers everything from visas to village research.

How to Trace Your Specific Sicilian Surname

The process of tracing a Sicilian family name is more accessible than many people expect:

1. Start with what you know: Interview elderly relatives for your ancestral town (paese). Many families remember it even generations later.
2. Search the Antenati portal: antenati.san.beniculturali.it — free, searchable civil records from 1820 across all Sicilian provinces.
3. Search Ellis Island records: libertyellisfoundation.org — passenger manifests include the immigrant’s town of origin.
4. Search FamilySearch: FamilySearch.org has indexed thousands of Sicilian parish and civil records, many available free of charge.
5. Write to the Comune: Once you know your ancestral town, write to the local civil registry (Ufficio Anagrafe) to request family records.
6. Consider jure sanguinis: If you have documented direct descent from an Italian citizen, you may be eligible for Italian dual citizenship through bloodline — one of the most powerful outcomes of heritage research.

Frequently Asked Questions About Sicilian Surnames

What is the most common Italian surname from Sicily?

Russo is the most common surname in Sicily, derived from the Latin for red or auburn-haired. It is found in high concentrations in Catania, Palermo, and Agrigento provinces, and is one of the most recognisable Sicilian surnames in the Italian-American diaspora.

Do Sicilian surnames have Arabic origins?

Yes — Sicily was ruled by Arab emirs from 827 to 1072 AD, and the period left a lasting imprint on Sicilian surnames. Names like Faraci (from al-Faraj, meaning relief), Alaimo (from al-Hakim, the wise one), and Cammarata (from Arabic for moonlit place) are direct descendants of Sicily’s Arab heritage. These surnames are found almost exclusively in Sicily and serve as clear markers of Arab ancestry.

How were Sicilian surnames changed at Ellis Island?

Immigration officers at Ellis Island often anglicised or simplified Sicilian names based on how they sounded in American English. Russo became Russell, Greco became Green or Grey, Bruno became Brown, and Lombardo sometimes became Lambert. Many families also voluntarily changed their names in the 1920s–1940s to avoid discrimination. When researching Ellis Island records, always search under multiple spelling variants.

Can I trace my Sicilian surname to a specific village?

Yes, and this is one of the most rewarding aspects of Italian heritage research. Many Sicilian surnames are strongly associated with specific towns and provinces. Once you identify your ancestral surname’s regional concentration through the Antenati portal or FamilySearch, you can often narrow it to a handful of communes — and from there, find the exact church or civil registry where your family appears in the records. Some heritage travellers have found relatives still living in their ancestral village.

What does it mean if my surname ends in -o in Sicily?

Many Sicilian surnames ending in -o reflect the Sicilian dialect’s characteristic dropping of final vowels and its influence on surname formation. Names like Russo, Greco, Bruno, and Marino follow this pattern. In some cases, the same surname exists in a slightly different form in other regions — Ferrari in the north, Ferraro in the south — and the -o or -aro ending is a useful marker of southern Italian or Sicilian origin.

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