Where the Calcagno surname comes from
Calcagno is an everyday word: it means the heel, and comes from the Latin calcaneum. In the Middle Ages it was used as a nickname and also as a personal name, and the surname grew from that. Why a man was called this is still debated: perhaps for the way he walked, perhaps for a trait of his character.
A Calcagno in Italian history
In 1860, during the uprising in Catania, a Calcagno from the common people entered Italian history and earned a nickname still remembered today. The PDF tells who she was and what she did.
Where the Calcagnos live today
Calcagno has two strongholds far apart: about 10,000 people carry it in Italy. The stronger one is in Liguria, between Genoa and Savona, along with neighboring Piedmont. The other is in Sicily, in the Enna and Messina areas, and in Aidone, in the province of Enna, it is the most common surname in town. The PDF has the region-by-region map and the countries around the world they reached.
Variants
The PDF records no common variants of Calcagno. The surname arose several times from the same word, in different places, and so it has several branches.
FAQ
What does the surname Calcagno mean?
It comes from calcagno, the heel, from the Latin calcaneum. In the Middle Ages it was a nickname and also a personal name. Why it was given is still debated.
Is Calcagno a Ligurian or a Sicilian surname?
Both, plus Piedmont. The stronger base is in Liguria, between Genoa and Savona; the other is in Sicily, in the Enna and Messina areas. They are separate branches, each born on its own from the same word.
Are all Calcagnos related?
No. The surname appeared in different places with no single ancestor, and the families share only the same old word. To know which branch is yours, what counts is your ancestors’ exact town.
How many Calcagnos are there?
About 10,000 people in Italy and about 18,500 worldwide. The biggest groups abroad are in Argentina and the United States, where Italian emigration led.
Who was Peppa la cannoniera?
Giuseppa Calcagno, a patriot of the Risorgimento born in 1841 in Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto (Messina), tied to the Catania uprising of 1860. Her story is in the PDF.
Is the Calcagno surname noble?
It comes from an ancestor’s nickname, not from a title. Some Calcagno families rose in rank and had a coat of arms of their own, but that is not the story of all Calcagnos.
Is there a Calcagno family coat of arms?
Coats of arms of individual families are known, such as the one from Milazzo, but a surname never had a single coat of arms. There is no coat of arms that belongs to every Calcagno.
Where do I look for Calcagno ancestors?
Start from the family’s exact town. In Sicily civil records begin in 1820, in Liguria and Piedmont after 1866; before that, look in parish registers.
