Where the Scalora surname comes from
Scholars don’t agree on a single origin for Scalora. The best-documented explanation points to Sicilian dialect: in Sicilian, “scalora” means escarole, or endive. So it was probably an old nickname, perhaps for someone who grew or sold escarole. Another theory links it to “scala,” stairs, but no major dictionary of surnames proves it.
A trace from the 1600s
The surname is rare, but in Sicily it has been documented for centuries. In the 1600s, in the Palermo area, the name of a Scalora is tied to the building of a sanctuary on steep ground. The PDF tells what he did, and what other old traces the surname has left.
Where the Scalora families live today
Scalora is a rare and entirely Sicilian surname: about 600 people carry it in Italy. Its heartland is the Syracuse area, between Floridia and Solarino. In Floridia it is among the twenty most common surnames in town, carried by about one person in a hundred. Other old groups live near Catania and in the Palermo area. The few families in central and northern Italy arrived with the migrations of the 1900s. The PDF has the region-by-region map and the countries around the world they reached.
Variants
For a surname this rare, your family’s exact town matters more than its spellings. The PDF explains where to start looking for it.
FAQ
What does the surname Scalora mean?
The origin is debated. The strongest explanation points to the Sicilian “scalora,” meaning escarole: a nickname perhaps given to someone who grew or sold it. Another theory links it to “scala,” stairs, but it is not proven.
Is Scalora a Sicilian surname?
Yes. Almost all Scalora families live in Sicily, above all in the Syracuse area between Floridia and Solarino. The families in Lazio, Piedmont and Lombardy arrived with the migrations of the 1900s.
Are all Scalora families related?
Not necessarily. The surname has several old groups in Sicily: in the Syracuse area, near Catania and in the Palermo area. To trace your own family’s story you need birth records and parish registers.
How many Scaloras are there in Italy?
About 600 people, by cautious estimates, almost all in Sicily. Worldwide there are about 1,300: the groups outside Italy grew out of Sicilian emigration in the 1800s and 1900s.
Is the Scalora surname noble?
No. It most likely comes from a folk nickname, and the old heraldic collections record no notable Scalora family.
Is there a Scalora family coat of arms?
No coat of arms is recorded for the Scalora surname. A coat of arms always belonged to one specific branch of a family, never to everyone who carries a surname.
Where can I search for Scalora ancestors?
In Sicily civil registration begins in 1820. Before that date, you search the parish registers, town by town: that is why it matters to know where the family came from.
