Where the Brugellis surname comes from
Brugellis is a very rare Calabrian surname, and its origin is debated. The lead most scholars follow traces it to a hypocoristic, an affectionate shortened form, of the Latin brugius, a variant of phrygius, “Phrygian.” Phrygia was a region of Anatolia, in present-day Turkey. A second possibility, thought less likely, is the heather-like shrub brugo.
A name from far away
An adjective like this could point to a faraway origin or to a nickname given to an ancestor. The PDF explains which of the two is more believable, and why the question stays open.
Where the Brugellises live today
Brugellis is very rare: just over two hundred people carry it in Italy. Its firmest base is in the province of Crotone, on the lower Ionian coast of Calabria. Outside Calabria it is strongest in Emilia-Romagna. Smaller groups live in Lombardy, Apulia and the Veneto, the result of the migrations of the 1900s. The PDF has the region-by-region map and the countries around the world they reached.
Variants
The PDF records no common variants of Brugellis. For a surname this rare, what counts most is the exact town the family comes from.
FAQ
What does the surname Brugellis mean?
Its origin is debated. The most widely followed lead ties it to the Latin brugius, a variant of phrygius, “Phrygian, from Phrygia,” through an affectionate shortened form. A second, less likely theory points to the brugo, a low shrub.
Is Brugellis a Calabrian surname?
Yes. Its firmest base is in the province of Crotone, on the lower Ionian coast. The families in Emilia-Romagna, Lombardy, Apulia and the Veneto came with the internal migrations of the 1900s.
What is Phrygia, and what does it have to do with Brugellis?
Phrygia was a region of Anatolia, in present-day Turkey. In Latin phrygius meant a Phrygian, and according to the most widely accepted reading the surname comes from a variant of that word. No document proves it.
How many Brugellises are there?
About 215 people in Italy and about 250 worldwide. These are careful estimates: for such a rare surname, a few moves are enough to change the picture.
Are all Brugellises related?
Without records there’s no way to say. The surname is very rare and concentrated in the Crotone area, but to trace the family ties you need birth records and parish registers.
Is the Brugellis surname noble?
There is no sign of it. The story of the Brugellises is not one of crowns or coats of arms, but of an old name that became a surname.
Is there a Brugellis family coat of arms?
For a surname this rare, heraldic tradition records no coat of arms. A coat of arms always belonged to one particular branch of a family, never to everyone who shares a surname.
Where do I look for Brugellis ancestors?
In Calabria civil records begin in 1809, with the registers of the French period. Before that year, look in parish books.
