Where the Calabrese surname comes from
Calabrese began as a nickname of origin: il calabrese was the man who came from Calabria. Someone who left there could become “the Calabrian” in a new town. That’s why the surname has no single founder. The region’s name comes from the Latin Calabri, an ancient people of the South. But the Romans’ Calabria wasn’t where we look for it today: the journey of this name is told in the PDF.
A surname that lives outside Calabria
Calabrese is more common outside Calabria than inside it. In a town in Apulia built on the edge of a canyon, it is the top surname. And among the Calabreses is the man who wrote the words of one of Italy’s best-loved songs. Their stories are in the PDF.
Where the Calabreses live today
Calabrese is a surname of the whole South: there are about 8,200 families in Italy. It is strongest in three regions, evenly matched: Apulia, Campania and Sicily. The town where it is number one is Ginosa, in the province of Taranto, on the border with Basilicata. With the migrations of the 20th century the surname also reached Lombardy, Lazio and Piedmont. The region-by-region map and the countries around the world they reached are in the PDF.
Variants
Every part of Italy had its own way of naming whoever came from Calabria, and so several cousin surnames were born. The PDF explains where each one comes from.
| Surname | Where it is concentrated |
|---|---|
| Calabrese | Apulia, Campania, Sicily |
| Calabrò | Sicily, Calabria, Lombardy |
| Calabria | Calabria, Lombardy, Campania |
| Calabretta | Calabria, Sicily, Lombardy |
| Calabresi | Lazio, Umbria, Tuscany |
| Calabretto | Apulia, Veneto, Lombardy |
FAQ
What does the Calabrese surname mean?
“The one from Calabria.” It was a nickname of origin, given to someone who arrived in another town from Calabria, and it later became a family name.
Is Calabrese a Calabrian surname?
Less than you might think. It is more common in Apulia, Campania and Sicily than in Calabria, because there calling someone “the Calabrian” didn’t set him apart from anyone.
Is Calabrese a surname from Apulia?
It is that too. In Apulia it is the 40th most common surname in the region, and in Ginosa, in the province of Taranto, it is the town’s top surname. Campania and Sicily, though, weigh as much as Apulia.
Are Calabrese and Calabrò the same surname?
They come from the same land, Calabria, but they are different forms. Calabrò is typical of Sicily and southern Calabria, and the families aren’t necessarily related.
Are all Calabreses related?
No. The surname was born every time someone left Calabria, in many different towns, and it has no single founder. To trace your own story you need birth records and parish registers.
Is the Calabrese surname noble?
The surname itself doesn’t indicate nobility: it comes from a nickname of origin. Almost all Calabrese families never had a coat of arms.
Is there a Calabrese family coat of arms?
There is no coat of arms for all the Calabreses. If a Calabrese family from Naples or Apulia had one, it was theirs alone.
