Where the D’Arrigo surname comes from
D’Arrigo means “son of Arrigo.” The D’ at the start is a “di,” “of”: the surname comes from the name of a founder called Arrigo. Arrigo is the old form of Enrico, the Italian Henry, a Germanic name that came to Italy in the Middle Ages. The PDF tells what it originally meant, and how it became Enrico.
The Messina earthquake
In 1908 an earthquake destroyed Messina. A D’Arrigo was in the city and came out of it unharmed. In the hard years of rebuilding, a heavy task fell to him. The PDF tells who he was, and introduces the other D’Arrigos from eastern Sicily who left their mark.
Where the D’Arrigos live today
D’Arrigo is a surname from eastern Sicily: there are about 730 families in Italy. The vast majority live on the island, around the provinces of Messina and Catania, between the Strait and Etna. Outside Sicily there are smaller branches in Tuscany, Lombardy and Piedmont, started by families who left in the 1900s. The PDF has the map and the countries around the world the D’Arrigos reached.
Variants
The surname has two sister forms, one born abroad and one older. The PDF explains which they are and where they are found.
| Surname | Where it is concentrated |
|---|---|
| D’Arrigo | eastern Sicily, Messina and Catania |
| Darrigo | abroad, above all America and Australia |
| De Arrigo | rare |
FAQ
What does the surname D’Arrigo mean?
“Son of Arrigo.” It is a patronymic, a surname that comes from the name of the family’s founder. Arrigo is the old form of Enrico, the Italian Henry.
Is D’Arrigo a Sicilian surname?
Yes, from eastern Sicily. The vast majority of the families live in the provinces of Messina and Catania. The branches in Tuscany, Lombardy and Piedmont left the island in the 1900s.
Are D’Arrigo and Darrigo the same surname?
Yes. Darrigo, written as one word, is the form the surname almost always takes abroad, where the apostrophe often got lost in paperwork. If you are looking for relatives in America or Australia, try this spelling too.
Are all D’Arrigos related?
No. The people who carry the surname belong to different branches, linked by the name. Since it is tied to one specific corner of Sicily, many families share the same homeland. To trace your own family’s story you need birth records and parish registers.
Is the D’Arrigo surname noble?
The surname itself is not a sign of nobility: it comes from a person’s name. Almost no D’Arrigo family ever had a coat of arms.
Is there a D’Arrigo family coat of arms?
No single coat of arms belongs to every D’Arrigo. If one branch had an emblem of its own, it belonged to that house and that town, not to everyone who carries the surname.
How many D’Arrigos are there in the world?
Just over 3,000, perhaps 3,500. About 2,200 live in Italy; the others are mostly in the United States, often with the surname spelled Darrigo.
