Where the Urso surname comes from
Urso comes from the Latin name Ursus, “bear.” In the Middle Ages it was a much-loved first name: calling a son Urso meant wishing him the strength and courage of a bear. Then the children and grandchildren of a man named Urso became “Urso’s folks,” and the name passed to the family. D’Urso is the same surname and means “son of Urso.”
A name a thousand years old
The name Urso has appeared in written records for more than a thousand years, from Venice to Campania. In the Middle Ages it was borne by one of the most important masters of the Medical School of Salerno, known all over Europe. In Messina, in the 1400s, there was already a noble Urso family. Their stories are in the PDF.
Where the Ursos live today
Urso is a surname of the South. There are about 6,000 families in Italy, with their heart in Sicily and a very strong presence in Apulia, especially in the Salento. There are also lines in Campania and Calabria. The town where it ranks number one is in Apulia: Ceglie Messapica, in the province of Brindisi. The families in Lazio and Lombardy come from the emigration of the 1900s. The region-by-region map and the countries around the world they reached are in the PDF.
Variants
The same name gave rise to different surnames from north to south, with prepositions, diminutives and plurals. The PDF explains where each one comes from.
| Surname | Where it is concentrated |
|---|---|
| Urso | Sicily, Apulia, Campania |
| D’Urso | Sicily, Campania, Lazio |
| Orso | Veneto, Piedmont, Campania |
| Ursino | Sicily, Calabria |
| Ursini | Abruzzo, Lazio, Apulia |
| Ursi | Apulia, Campania |
FAQ
What does the surname Urso mean?
“Bear.” It comes from the Latin name Ursus, which in the Middle Ages was given to children to wish them strength and courage.
Is Urso a surname from Sicily or from Apulia?
Both. Its heart is in Sicily, but the surname is also very strong in Apulia, where it ranks number one in Ceglie Messapica. There are also lines in Campania and Calabria.
Are Urso and D’Urso the same surname?
Yes. D’Urso means “son of Urso.” In old registers the same family may appear once as Urso and once as D’Urso.
Are all Ursos related?
No. In the Middle Ages there were a great many children named Urso, all over the South, and the surname was born in many different towns. To trace your own story you need birth records and parish registers.
Is the Urso surname noble?
In Messina, in the 1400s, there lived a noble Urso family. Most of today’s Ursos, though, come from different families, with no common founder. Only documents can tell which branch a family comes from.
Is there an Urso family coat of arms?
The archives record the arms of the noble Urso family of Messina, but they belonged to that branch. There is no coat of arms that belongs to all Ursos.
