Where the Sgarano surname comes from
The origin of Sgarano is debated. The most widely accepted theory sees it as a variant of Scarano, with the consonant softened: a common change in the dialects of the South. Two explanations are offered for the word itself, one tied to the sea and one to a nickname. The PDF tells which one holds up better.
A surname with few traces
For a surname this rare, no record survives that fixes its birth. Scholars do not agree, and the PDF is honest about what is known and what is only a theory.
Where the Sgaranos live today
Sgarano is very rare: Italy has about forty families, fewer than ninety people. Almost all live in Sicily, in the Messina area. The town where it is among the most common surnames is Itala, a small seaside town south of Messina. Outside Sicily only faint traces remain, mostly in Lazio. The PDF has the region-by-region map and the countries around the world they reached.
Variants
The PDF records no widespread variants of Sgarano. For a surname this rare, what matters most is the family’s exact town.
FAQ
What does the surname Sgarano mean?
Its origin is debated. The most widely accepted theory links it to Scarano. To explain the word itself, scholars point to an old term tied to the sea or to a medieval nickname.
Are Sgarano and Scarano the same surname?
Most likely, yes: Sgarano is probably the softened form used in the speech of the South. It remains a theory, because for a surname this rare no record fixes its birth.
Is Sgarano a Sicilian surname?
Yes. Most Sgaranos live in Sicily, in the Messina area, and the town most associated with it is Itala, on the sea south of Messina. The traces in Lazio and the rest of the South are fainter.
How many Sgaranos are there?
In Italy about forty families, fewer than ninety people. Worldwide there are just over a hundred. These are cautious estimates, because with numbers this small a few moves change the picture.
Are all Sgaranos related?
Not necessarily, but anyone who carries it in the Messina area has a good chance of belonging to families related to one another. What counts is your ancestors’ town, birth records and parish registers.
Is the Sgarano surname noble?
No. There is no record of an old noble Sgarano house: it is a surname of ordinary people, born from a nickname or a place.
Is there a Sgarano family coat of arms?
There is no documented coat of arms of the Sgaranos. A coat of arms always belonged to one particular branch of a family, never to everyone who carries a surname.
Where do I look for my Sgarano ancestors?
Start from Itala and the Messina area. In Sicily civil registration begins in 1820; before that year, look in the parish registers kept after the Council of Trent.
