Italo-Albanian surnames or Arbëreshë surnames are a distinctive group within Italian onomastics, rooted in the Albanian-speaking communities that settled in southern Italy between the 15th and 18th centuries.[1]These communities, known collectively as the Arbëreshë, have preserved a unique ethno-linguistic identity, including Eastern Catholic religious rites and the Arbërisht language, for over five centuries. Their surnames provide essential insights into cultural retention and adaptation across generations.
History of Italo-Albanian surnamesHistory of Italo-Albanian surnames
The Arbëreshë trace their ancestry to Albanian refugees who fled the Ottoman invasion of the Balkans. The earliest waves of migration began during the 1440s and continued following the death of Albanian national hero Gjergj Kastrioti Skënderbeu (Skanderbeg) in 1468, as well as the fall of key Albanian cities like Krujë and Shkodër. These refugees were granted land and privileges in depopulated areas of the Kingdom of Naples and Sicily, where they established self-governing communities in Calabria, Basilicata, Sicily, Molise, Campania, and Apulia. Despite being pressured to assimilate, the Arbëreshë have managed to maintain their distinct identity, and their surnames reflect both their Balkan roots and the Italian linguistic environment they entered.
Geographic distribution of Italo-Albanian surnamesGeographic distribution of Italo-Albanian surnames
Arbëreshë surnames remain most concentrated in towns located in the regions where these communities were established:
- Calabria: San Demetrio Corone, Lungro, Vaccarizzo Albanese, Civita, Castroregio, Carfizzi, Serra d'Aiello
- Sicily: Piana degli Albanesi, Contessa Entellina, Sant'Angelo Muxaro
- Basilicata: San Costantino Albanese, San Fele, San Paolo Albanese
- Molise: Campomarino, Ururi, Portocannone, Santa Croce di Magliano
- Campania: Greci, Alife
- Apulia: Chieuti, Casalvecchio di Puglia, San Giorgio Ionico, Casalnuovo Monterotaro
Emigration in the 19th and 20th centuries has spread these surnames to Australia, the United States, Canada, Argentina, and beyond.
Italo-Albanian surnames conventionsItalo-Albanian surnames conventions
Arbëreshë surnames often preserve Albanian phonological and morphological traits, even as many have been Italianized over the centuries. These surnames typically fall into four broad categories
Italo-Albanian surnames of patronymic originItalo-Albanian surnames of patronymic origin
Italo-Albanian surnames of toponymic originItalo-Albanian surnames of toponymic origin
There is a significant number of Arbëreshë surnames that either referencing places in Albania proper or local Italian settlements with Arbëreshë populations, such as Scutari (from Shkodër), Dragotta (from Dragotti), Masaracchia (from Mazërék), Damis (from Damës) and Civita, from a town in Calabria.
Italo-Albanian surnames of occupational originItalo-Albanian surnames of occupational origin
Italo-Albanian surnames of descriptive originItalo-Albanian surnames of descriptive origin
Just as in any other language, there are Arbëreshë surnames that are based on physical traits or characteristics, such as Curto (short) or Bianco (fair-skinned). However, these do not appear to have many differences with Italian surnames of descriptive origin, with a few exceptions like Greco, as at the time they arrived to Italy, Orthodox Christians were all denominated 'Greek" regardless of their origin.
Italianization of Italo-Albanian surnamesItalianization of Italo-Albanian surnames
Over time, Arbëreshë surnames were frequently modified in church records and civil registries by clerics and officials unfamiliar with Albanian phonetics by a number of reasons.[2] Examples of these italianized surnames include:
- Lekë becoming Leca
- Zefi (which at the same time derives from from the Albanian given name Jozef) recorded as Zeppa
- Moçi becoming Moccia
- Gjonaj transformed into Giannone
- Guxeta becoming Guzzetta
- Kola appearing as Colaianni
- Kastrioti appearing as Castriota
Some surnames disappeared altogether, and were replaced by common Italian forms due to forced assimilation, particularly during the Fascist period in the 20th century.
Cultural significance of Italo-Albanian surnamesCultural significance of Italo-Albanian surnames
Arbëreshë surnames are more than identifiers; they are carriers of cultural memory. In many communities, surname continuity is reinforced through oral tradition, church records, and community endogamy. Many local churches and institutions maintain valuable archival records that preserve older forms of these surnames. Today, Italo-Albanian community organizations both in Italy and in the Italo-Albanian diaspora are actively working to preserve Arbëreshë language and heritage, often beginning with surname research and historical documentation.
Celebrities with Italo-Albanian surnamesCelebrities with Italo-Albanian surnames
- Cecilia Bolocco, Chilean TV hostess and Miss Universe 1987
- Enrico Cuccia - Italian banker, founder of Mediobanca
- Danny DeVito, American actor and filmmaker
- Francesco Crispi – Italy's Prime Minister from 1887 until 1891
- Girolamo de Rada - Italian writer and poet in Italian and Albanian
- Gabriella Cilmi - Australian singer
- Tom Perrotta - American novelist and screenwriter
See alsoSee also
Explore more about Italo-Albanian surnamesExplore more about Italo-Albanian surnames
References
- ↑ Minni, C. Dino; Ciampolini, Anna Foschi (1990). Writers in transition: the proceedings of the First National Conference of Italian-Canadian Writers. Guernica Editions. pp. 63–4. ISBN 978-0-920717-26-4. Retrieved 30 September 2010.
- ↑ The history / How Arbëresh surnames were adapted in Italy. Diaspora Shqiptare