I found this list of Italian-Jewish Surnames recently and thought I should share it. While some of the surnames are used by people of both Christian and Jewish faith, it will allow someone researching one of these surnames some options.
You may also want to look at the website Italian Resources for Jewish Genealogy – A Guide to the Main Resources on Italian Jewish Genealogy which provides a complete breakdown for researching your Italian-Jewish roots. You may also want to read our article titled Italian Family Genealogy – Jewish Genealogy
A
Aadith, Abadì, Abeles, Abenaim, Abeniacar, Abib, Abigdor, Aboaf, Abramson, Abravanel, Abulaffi, Abulaffia, Acco, Acher, Adagnia, Aderca, Ades, Adler, Aelion, Aghib, Ahrens, Ajar, Alatri, Alba, Albahari, Albaum, Albert, Albina, Albini, Alcalai, Alfaquain, Algranati, Alhaique, Allalouf, Allan Civita, Alrnagià, Almansi, Almansi Macchioro, Almeda, Alphandery, Alpron, Alt, Altarass, Altaress, Altberger, Alter, Alticheh, Amar, Ameriglio, Amati, Ambonetti, Ambron, Amì, Amman, Amy, Anau, Ancona, Andrè, Angel, Angeli, Angelini, Anguillara, Anticoli, Ara, Arbib, Archivolti, Arditti, Arditi, Ariani, Arias, Ariccia, Ariete, Arieti, Arnstein, Artom, Aruch, Ascarelli, Ascer, Aschenazi, Ascher, Ascoli, Ascoli Marchetti, Assajcas, Asseo, Astein, Asti, Astrologo, Attal, Attias, Aub, Avigdor, Auerbach, Awerbach, Azankot, Azavei, Azavey, Azria, Azriel, Azzaria.
B
Badalassi Orvieto, Baer, Bachi, Backschmiedt, Bagdalli, Bahorjudà, Baiona, Bak, Balachovsky, Ball, Ballanti, Balog, Banon, Banti, Baquis, Baracchi, Barchi, Barmè Mazloun, Baroccio, Barroccio, Baruch, Barzilai, Barzillon, Basevi, Basilea, Basola, Bassan, Behor, Bassani, Bassano, Bassi, Batò, Battino, Bauer, Beck, Bedarida, Bedussa, Beer, Behar, Beilinson, Belaise, Belforte, Belgrado, Belimbau, Belleli, Bellom, Belmonte, Bemporad, Benadì, Benaim, Benamozegh, Benarayo, Benedetti, Beniacar, Beniamin, Benigno, Benoliel, Bensillun, Bensussan, Benusiglio, Benveniste, Benvenisti, Benzimrà, Benzouan, Berahà, Berer, Bergmann, Bergholz, Bermann, Bernardoni, Berni, Bernheimer, Bernsteir, Bertel, Beruchel, Besso, Betrich, Betti, Bettinelli, Bettmann, Biach, Bianchini, Bienenfeld, Bigiavi, Bigio, Biks, Bingen, Bischof (vescovo!), Bises, Bisi Mantovani, Bisogni, Bisson, Bivak, Blanes, Blaskopf, Blau, Blitz, Bloch, Blotzek, Blum, Blumberg, Blumenthal, Boaz, Bobek, Boccara, Boffi, Boghen, Boehm, Bolaffi, Bolaffio, Bollag, Bolle, Bologna, Bolosca, Baustein, Bonaventura, Bondì, Bonfiglioli, Bonomie, Bonucci, Boralevi, Borgetti, Borghi, Borlenghi, Borseti, Bows, Bracci, Brandenburg, Brandes, Brandi, Braeuer, Braun, Brauner, Braunschweig, Braunstein, Bravermann, Brecher, Breiner, Breinin, Bresner, Brill, Brisi, Brociner, Brok, Brod, Brodanka, Brunner, Buchbinder, Buchsbaum, Bueno, Bunzel.
C
Cabibbe, Cademann, Cadorini, Caffaz, Cagli, Caimi, Caimmi, Caivano, Calabi, Calabresi, Calderoni, Calef, Caleff, Calfoa, Calimani, Calò, Calvo, Camaioli, Camerini, Camerino, Camhi, Camis, Camis de Fonseca, Cammeo, Campagnano, Campos, Canarutto, Cannaruto, Cantoni, Capato, Capua, Carasso, Carrara, Carcsson, Cardoso, Carijo, Carlì, Carmi, Carmona, Caro, Carpanetti, Carpi, Carsen, Caruba, Casanova, Cases, Cases Pellegrini, Cascinelli, Cassin, Cassuto, Castelbolognesi, Castelletti, Castelli, Castelfranchi, Castelfranco, Castelnuovo Tedesco, Castiglioni, Castro, Cattelani, Cava, Cave Bondì, Cavaglieri, Cavaglione, Cavalieri, Caviglia, Cendraissousa, Cervetti, Cesana, Cevidalli, Clerido, Clava, Clerle, Cludnevitz, Chajes, Chapira, Chimichì, Ciaroff, Cingoli, Citone, Citone in Alvarenga, Citoni, Cividalli, Civita, Coen, Coen Cantarini, Coen Gialli, Coenca, Cogoi, Cohen, Coifmann, Colasanti, Colia, Colombo, Colonna, Colorni, Confino, Conforte, Conforti, Confort, Conigliani, Consarelli, Consigli, Consiglio, Consolo, Contini, Corcos, Cori, Corinaldi, Coscas Majon, Costa, Costantini, Cotton, Covo, Cramer, Cratz, Crema, Cremisi, Creo, Croccolo, Curiat, Curiel, Cusin, Cutti, Cuzzeri, Cuzzi, Czachi, Czatzkis, Czimmer.
D
Dadone, Da Fano, D’Agata, Daldon, Dalla Torre, D’Ancona, Daniel, Danitti, Dann, Da Zara, De Abravanel, De Alvarez, De Angelis, Deangelis, De Benedetti, De Castro, De Cori, De Farro, De Frigessy, De Funel, De Leon, Della Riccia, Dell’Ariccia, Della Rocca, Della Seta, Della Torre, Della Volta, Dello Strologo, Del Mar, Del Monte, Del Sole, De Luisa, Del Valle, Del Valle de Paz, Del Vecchio, Demajo, De Medina, De Montel, De Nola, Depace, Depangher, De Paz, De Rossi, De Semo, De Sousa, Dessau, Deutsch, Diamant, Diaz, Di Capua, Di Castro, Di Cave, Dickmann, Di Cori, Diena, Dienstfertig, Di Gioacchino, Di Laudadio, Dina, Di Nepi, Dinkelspiel, Di Nola, Di Porto, Di Segni, D’ltalia, Di Tivoli, Ditz, Di Veroli, Dolfo, Donati, Donner, Doerfles, Dorn, Dowek, Dragoner, Dresner, Dreyfus, Drucker, Dubinsky, Durante, Duranti, D’Urbino.
E
Eckert, Edward, Eibenschuetz, Effendi, Efrati, Ehrenfeld, Ehrenfreund, Ehrenteil, Ehrlich, Eisenstaedter, Elfer, Elia, Elias, Eliazon, Eliezer, Elseo, Eltbogen, Emdin, Eminente, Engel, Enriquez, Eppinger, Epstein, Erber, Ergas, Errera, Esdra, Esquenasi, Essinger, Ettlinger, Evangelisti.
F
Falcini Servi, Falco, Faldini, Faldino, Falk, Fano, Faraggi, Farber, Farchi, Fargion, Farinelli, Farkas, Fasano, Fassel, Fasulo, Fatucci, Fein, Feiner, Feistmann, Felberbaum, Felici, Fellner, Fernandes, Ferrarese, Ferro, Ferusciany, Fiandra, Fiano, Fieder, Fifer, Fink, Finkelstein, Finker, Finzi, Fiorentino, Fimberg, Fischbein, Fischer, Fischl, Fischmann, Fiz, Flack, Flaschel, Fleisher, Fleischner, Foà, Fodor, Foligno, Fonseca, Fontanella, Forlì, Formiggini, Fornari, Forti, Franchetti, Franco, Frank, Frankental, Frankl, Franzes, Frascati, Frassinetti, Freiberger, Freisinger, Frenkel, Fresco, Freund, Fried, Friedenthal, Friedlaender, Friedmann, Fries, Frizzi, Frischmann, Fruchter, Fuà, Fubini, Fuchs, Funaro, Fuerst.
G
Gabbai, Gabriel, Gaensler Frankenstein, Gaggio, Gori, Galinidi, Galletti, Galli, Gallichi, Gallico, Galligo, Gandus, Gani, Garda, Garsen, Garza, Gasperini, Gattegno, Gattinara, Gazes, Geddes, Geller, Gemelli, Genazzani, Gentili, Gentilli, Gentilomo, Gerold, Gerstel, Gerstenfeld, Gesess, Gerschanovitz, Ghersfeld, Ghiron, Ghissin, Giaconi, Giavol, Ginzburg, Giovanelli, Giroux, Giuili, Giuli, Glanz, Glass, Glattstein, Glicenstein, Glueck, Godell, Goetz, Goetzel, Goldbacher, Goldberg, Goldberger, Goldenberg, Goldfinger, Goldfrucht, Goldmann, Goldring, Goldschmiedt, Goldstein, Goldstaub, Golembiovski, Gomel, Gondelmann, Goudstikker, Graf, Granichstaedten, Grassetti, Grassini, Graziani, Greco, Greco-Siglina, Grego, Greiger, Gronich, Gruen, Gruenbaum, Gruenberg, Gruenland, Gruener, Gruenfeld, Gruenwald, Gruss, Guagnacchi, Guetta, Gugenheim, Guggenheim, Guglielmi, Gurewitsch, Guttierez, Guttmann.
H
Haardt, Haas, Haber, Hackl, Hagmann, Hahn, Haim, Haimovici, Haimovitsch, Hajek, Hajon, Hakin, Haliffi, Hamburger, Harmer, Hanania, Hanau, Handler, Hanemann Toff, Hanen, Harrari, Hasdà, Hassan, Hassid, Hasson, Haussmann, Hasan, Heilbrunn, Heimann, Heinhorn, Heischmann, Heitler, Helfer, Heller, Hensel, Hepner, Herbatschek, Herbert, Herlitzka, Hersch, Herschmann, Herzer, Hirschfeld, Hirsch, Herzog (duca), Hochwald, Hodara, Holberg, Hollaender, Hollinger, Honig, Hoenisberg, Horitzky Orsini, Horn, Horniker, Horovici, Horvat, Huesca, Hupperi.
I
Ichainer, Illes, Isciaki, Ismalun, Israel, Israeli, Issel, Issmann, Italia.
J
Jacchia, Jacobson, Jacur, Jaffe, Jahni, Janowitz, Janni, Jarach, Jarè, Jenda, Jenina, Jenna, Jenni, Jesi, Jesurum, Jessulam, Job, Joffe, Johanan, Jolles, Jones, Jona, Jos, Joseph, Josz, Joung, Jules, Just.
K
Kabiglio, Kach, Kagnaff, Kahn, Kajon, Kalk, Kalmus, Kaminka, Kaptan, Kasman, Kastner, Katz, Kauffrnann, Kaula, Keller, Kern, Kessler, Kirsch, Kirschen, Kitt, Klauber, Klein, Kleinzeller, Klippel, Klugmann, Koch, Kohn, Kohner, Kolb, Koltzinsky, Koenigsberger, Konti, Konrad, Koerber, Korn, Kornell, Kornfeld, Koschiltzki, Kostoris, Krassner, Kraus, Krauterkraft, Krebs, Kreh, Kreilsheim, Kremer, Kron, Kries, Krikunetz, Kron, Kropf, Kruskah, Krzentowski, Kuehn.
L
Lacis, Lackenbacher, Lacomba, Laden, Lager, Laide, Lakin, Lamberg, Lampronti, Landesmann Laudi, Landau, Langbank, Lanternari, Lanzana, Lapajowker, Lappert, Lascar, Lassejower, Laz, Latis, Lattes, Latzer, Lavagno, Leblis, Lehrecht, Lecerf, Lechner, Lenner, Lee, Leipziger, Lekner, Lenghi, Lennox, Leone, Leoni, Leonino, Leonzini, Leperer, Lerner, Lessmann, Levi, Levi Bianchini, Levibran, Levi-Cases Momigliano, Levi de Veali, Levi Minzi, Levi Montalcini, Levin, Levis Levitsch, Lewish, Levy, Lewy, Lichetnstadt, Lichtenstein, Lieblein, Liehmann, Limentani, Lindemer, Linder, Lipschuetz, Liscia, Liuzzi, Livoli, Lob, Locascio-Goldschmiedt, Lodeserto, Loeb, Loeffler, Loevy, Loewy, Loisada, Lolli, Lombroso, Lopes, Lopez, Lopez-Rabello, Lorant, Loria, Loschitz, Loethe, Loevinson, Loew, Loewental, Loewenthal, Loewinson, Loewy, Luft, Luftschuetz, Luisada, Lumbroso, Luria, Lusena, Lust, Lustig, Lutomirsky, Luttinger, Luzzatti, Luzzatto.
M
Macchioro, Macerata, Maendl, Maestri, Maestro, Magrini, Mahlberg, Maimann, Maino, Maionica, Maissa, Majò, Malvano, Manara, Manasse, Mandel, Mandelberg, Mandler, Mandula, Mangold, Mann, Mannheimer, Marach, Marcaria, Marcheria, Marcus, Margulies, Mariani, Marino, Marini, Mariotti, Maroni, Marradi, Marsiglio, Massa, Massarani, Massarek, Massiah, Matalon, Mattatia, Mattersdorfer, Mautner, Mayer, Mazzola, Mazoleni, Medina, Medvedieff, Medoro, Meinster, Melgrano, Melli, Menasci, Mendel, Mendes, Menz, Merkl, Mesha, Mestre, Michelis, Michelstaedter, Mieli, Migliau, Milano, Milla, Millul, Minerbi, Mingardi, Mires, Misan, Misan-Saia, Misano, Misul, Misrahi, Modena, Modiano, Modigliani, Modigliano, Modona, Moeller, Moisé, Molco, Molnar, Momigliani, Momigliano, Mondolfi, Mondolfo, Mondovì, Monferini, Monreale, Monselise, Monselles, Montag, Montagnana, Montalcini, Montalcino, Montalti, Montebarozzi, Montecorboli, Montefiore, Montefiori, Montel, Montiglia, Morais, Moravia, Mordo, Mordoh, Morel, Morelli, Morello, Moreno, Moreschi, Moresco, Moretti, Morgenstern, Mori, Moroni, Morpurgo, Mortara, Mortera, Morway, Moscato, Moscé, Moskowitz, Moully, Mrad Esses, Mosseri, Muggia, Mugnai, Muehlstein, Muia, Muelberg, Mueller, Musacchi, Musatti, Mussafia, Mustacchi.
N
Naar, Nacamù, Nacamulli, Nacmias, Nacson, Nador, Najschitz, Nahmias, Nahon, Nahum, Naim, Namen, Namer, Nathan, Navara, Navarra, Navarro, Negrini, Neiger Nepi, Neppi, Neri, Neppi Modona, Neris, Netter, Neumann, Nibal Raimondi, Nigris, Nissim, Nizza, Nordlinger, Norlenghi, Norsa, Norzi, Nossal, Nunes, Nunes Franco, Nunes Vais, Nuernberg, Nussbaum.
O
Oberdorfer, Oblath, Ocvirk, O’Hara, Ohlsen, Olivieri, Olivetti, Olper, Olschki, Oppenheim, Oreffice, Orefice, Orefici, Ortona, Orvieto, Oser, Osimo, Osmo, Osta, Oesterreicher, Ottolenghi, Ottolenghi Boccara, Ottolenghi di Vallepiana, Ovazza.
P
Pace, Pacifici, Padoa, Padova, Padovani, Padovano, Paggi, Panerai, Panzieri, Paoli, Paper, Pardo, Pardo – Roques, Parente, Parenzo, Passigli, Pattin, Pavia, Pavoncello, Pegna, Perez, Perlmutter, Permutti, Perpetui, Perugia, Pesaro, Pesaro Maurogonato, Pescarolo, Philipson, Piattelli, Piazza, Picard, Picciacci, Picciaccio, Pick, Pieboni, Piesen, Pignero, Piha, Pincherle, Pinto, Piperno, Pines, Pirani, Pirola, Pisa, Pisanty, Pisetzky, Pisinger, Pitigliani, Pitteri, Plankenstein, Plaskis, Platzek, Plaschier, Poggetto, Poggibonsi, Poggiolini, Polacco, Poliakoff, Politi, Politzer, Pollak, Pomeranz, Pontecorboli, Pontecorvo, Pontremoli, Popper, Porges, Porta, Portaleon, Portaleone, Portnoff, Porto, Post, Pozinak, Prato, Pregel, Pressburger, Priester, Procaccia, Prohatzka, Provenzal, Pugliese, Puritz, Puttermann, Putti.
Q
Quercioli.
R
Rabà, Rabbeno, Rabelio, Rabinovici, Racah, Radau, Raffael, Raffaelli, Rahamin, Ram, Randegger, Rappaport, Rath, Ravà, Ravà Longhi, Ravenna, Ravicz, Reah, Recanati, Reder, Redzinsky, Reeson, Reggio, Reghini, Reich, Reichenback, Reichmann, Reinach, Reiner, Reinert, Reinhardt, Reinisch, Reis, Reiser, Reis, Reissner, Remondini, Renier, Resignani, Restani, Reuben, Revan, Revere, Revici, Riboni, Richetti, Richtmann, Riedler, Rieger, Rieti, Rietti, Rignano, Riftin, Rimini, Rocca, Roccas, Rodriguez, Roganti, Rogers, Roumann, Romanelli, Romani, Romanin, Romanin Jacur, Romano, Romoli, Roques, Rosel, Rosen, Rosenberg, Rosenfeld, Rosenholz, Rosenstein, Rosenthal, Rosenzweig, Rosselli, Rossi, Rotbart, Roth, Rouff, Rouzel, Rovighi, Rubert, Rubinstein, Rudoi, Russi.
S
Sabatello, Sabbadini, Sacerdote, Sacerdoti, Sacerdotti, Sacerdotti di Carobbio, Sachs, Sacuto, Sadok, Sadun, Saadun, Saffaro, Sagà, Saiegli, Salem, Salmon, Salmona, Salmoni, Salom, Salonicchio, Saltiel, Salto, Salus, Samaia, Sambulovich, Samuele, Sancò, Sanguinetti, Sanguski, Santillana, Saporta, Saralvo, Sarasson, Saraval, Saravalle, Sarfatti, Sariette, Sarsowski, Sasson, Savani, Saxel, Scazzocchio, Scandiani, Scaramella, Scarpa, Schjowitz, Schalmon, Schamasch, Schapira, Schaerf, Schick, Schiffer, Schiller, Schischa, Schlesinger, Schloss, Schmitz, Schmoltz, Schmukler, Schnur, Schoen, Schoenfeld, Schoenhaut, Schoenheit, Schoenstein, Schor, Schostal, Schotte, Schreiber, Schreider, Schultz, Schunnach, Schuessler, Schuetz, Schwarz, Schwarzkopf, Schweiger, Schwob, Sciaky, Scitrug, Sciunnach, Sdraffa, Sed, Sefardi, Segal, Segrè, Seidel, Seidmann, Seif, Semak, Semania, Semo, Senigaglia, Senigallia, Sepilli, Serena, Sereni, Sereno, Sergi, Sermoneta, Serravalle, Serrera, Servadio, Servi, Sessa, Sessi, Sestieri, Sforni, Sermann, Siccoli Bondì, Siebzehner, Sierra, Silbermann, Silva, Sivera, Sinai, Singer, Sitri, Slvaja, Smolensky, Smolesco, Soarez, Soliani, Soavi, Somenzi, Sommer, Sommermann, Sonne, Sonnenberger, Sonnino, Sorani, Sorbi, Soria, Sornaga, Sorraga, Soschino, Spagnoletto, Spagnolo, Specos, Spiegel, Spierer, Spitilli, Spitz, Spitzer, Spizzichino, Sprinzeles, Sraffa, Stein, Steindler, Steiner, Steinhardt, Stern, Steinhaus, Sternberg, Sternfeld, Sternschuss, Stettner, Stipanowitsch, Stock, Straaten, Stransky, Strossberg, Stucovitz, Stuetzel, Suarez, Subak, Subert, Sullam, Sulmona, Sun, Supino, Susani, Susin, Suess, Suessland, Sviadoschitz, Szabados, Szamatolsky, Szeynberg, Szirmay.
T
Tabet, Tagger, Tagiuri, Tagliacozzo, Tailor, Tajar, Tannenbaum, Taenzer, Taubert, Taussig, Tazartes, Tedeschi, Tedesco, Teglio, Teichner, Temin, Terni, Terracina, Terracini, Tesoro, Teubal, Tewich, Thuretzky, Tiano, Tivoli, Toaff, Todeschini, Todesc, Todros, Toledano, Tolentino, Tolosa, Torres, Toscano, Toschi, Tramer, Treulich, Treves, Treves de’ Bonfili, Trevi, Trevis, Trieste, Trietsch, Trionfo, Turba, Tuerk, Turra.
U
Udine, Ullmann, Umano, Ungar, Urbini, Urbino, Urovitz, Usigli, Usiglio, Uziel, Uzielli.
V
Valabrega, Valch, Valensin, Valenti, Valentin, Valenzin, Valobra, Valmarano, Valmarin, Varadi, Varios, Varsano, Velicogna, Venezia, Veneziani, Veneziano, Ventura, Vercelli, Veroli, Verona, Verreano, Vigdorcik, Vigevani, Vigevano, Vilcher, Visser, Vita, Vitta, Vitale, Vitalevi, Vitali, Viterbi, Viterbo, Vitta Zelmann, Vivante, Vivanti, Vovante, Vogel, Vogelmann, Vogler, Voghera, Volli, Volterra, Vretermann, Vucenovich.
W
Wachsmann, Walch, Wallfisch, Waschitz, Wassermam, Wax, Wehli, Weichsel, Weiger, Weil, Weiller, Weil-Schott, Weinstein, Weisberg, Weischel, Weishut, Weiss, Weiss Dodi, Weisser, Weissmann, Weizmann, Weleminsky, Welisch, Werblowsky, Wernikoff, Wilhelm, Windspach, Winternitz, Wohl, Wolf, Wolfler, Wolff, Wolfsohn, Wollemborg, Wollner, Wolner, Wortmann.
Z
Zabban, Zaccaria, Zaccuti, Zacun, Zacutti, Zagdun, Zalai, Zalman-Finzi, Zamatto, Zamorani, Zanotti, Zarfati, Zargani, Zarzovsky, Zebolun, Zeller, Zelman, Zemanek, Zevi, Zibell, Zibren, Ziffer, Zipper, Zitrin, Zmigrod, Zoller, Zuccari, Zuckermann, Zurk, Zweig, Zwillinger.
Can you please tell me if the Italian name Colantonio has any Jewish history .
This is not an easy question to answer – unless previously documented most inquires like this require some thought and research. How much is needed depends on how far buried the roots are and how much time you are willing to invest to find the answer. A cheaper, and perhaps better option would be to consider having a DNA test done which may be able to this down for you and help you connect with others who share your markers. Hope this helps.
Hi Nuccia! My grandpapa was born in Italy, in the city of Ancona near by the Mediterranean, He came to Brazil about the second war his name was Cesare Angelini, the curious of this story, is that I have found this surname ANGELINI in the most part of the list has been disclosed in the internet.for example: There is a spanish list in wich this name appears , also the MUSEUM OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE IN TEL AVIVths name ANGELINI appears as well.
There is book that was written in 1925 by the historian and Rabbi Samuele Schaerf in this book he tells a history all the jewish family who had got the noble count including the coat of arms the coat has three DAVID STARS in yellow colour and the colour of italian flag..what´s your oppinion ??
Is the surname Almario of Italian Jewish background
Have a look at the link I have to the more well known surnames with a Jewish background. Italian Jewish Surnames & Genealogy – Part I
By the way my surname is included in this list too.
i am gonna post here part of a docment derived from Italy in 1973…. => ANGELINI, Werther – Gli ebrei di Ferrara nel Settecento Urbino: Argalia,
1973, 332 p., (Storia), LINK: https://www.jewishgen.org/InfoFiles/it-3.txt I suppose in my case there´s no doubt my relatives in Italy were jewish.. ANGELINI FAMILY
My ancestors were Bore the Loria surname, I don’t know if it originated in Italy however, as I’ve seen many jewish families with that surname in northern Europe.
i would suposse that all the north european lurias came from the city of luria in italy.
Hi Nuccia,
Thank you for posting the list of surnames. My mother’s family name, Hassid, appears in your list. In the past the family was known as Hacohen Hassid and later Hassid Hacohen until eventually they called themselves simply Hassid. The family had come to Salonica from Italy. Some sources say that they arrived in the 18th century – part of an influx of Italian Jews (mostly from Livorno) who were known as Francos. The Francos established themselves as a wealthy mercantile elite in the city. The Kahal registers of Salonica, however, tell us that in the 16th century the family were already members of one of the oldest of Salonica’s synagogues, Kahal Kadosh Italia Hayashan founded in 1423.
Is there a way of finding out about where in Italy the family came from and about there history there? I’d be grateful for any help or advice that you can give.
Thank you.
The only way I can see this happening is to begin tracing your family back as far as you can using civil and then church records. I would also consider DNA testing. Have a look at this site and see if they can offer you more info: http://www.italian-family-history.com/jewish/genealogy.html
Hello,
My mother and father were both born in the Maghreb (1930’s) but my paternal grandfather was Italian near Naples (Minieri) and I saw a Minierbi in this list. I also just received my mom’s ancestry DNA and I found out she is 51% Italian, 28% Middle Eastern, and 10% Germanic. Her last name was Assouline, but we were told by Yad Vashem it’s a Berber name. Where do I go for more info?
Thank you!
many of those names on that list were brought from Italian families, who were by no means of Jewish origin, and I can guarantee you that there are many on that list that are not of Jewish origin.
another thing if a foreign name looks like an Italian name, does not mean that it has a connection with an Italian surname.
another very important thing the surnames of those who bear a city name are really in rare cases of Jewish origin.
but also those of crafts.
in a nutshell the surnames of Jewish origin are few
sorry for my english
im italian
Thanks for your feedback. This is what the site is about…using various sources to find the answers we look for! And your English is fine. Grazie.
SONCINO to
The person named Alberto who is making comments about the names on the list of Jewish Italian surnames is perhaps not familiar with Calabria alone being 50% Jewish before the Inquisition. Many Italians do not know of their Jewish ancestry until they do a DNA test. I personally have the Rado’ and Pugliese surnames in my family. Both have Jewish ancestry and Pugliese is a very well known Jewish surname. So, just because many Italian Americans may not be aware of their Jewish ancestry does not mean it did not exist. It did.
Absolutely! My maternal grandparents came from Naples area with ” Porto” a Sephardic surname and were Catholic but there are many Portos on Inquisition murder ljsts as welk as a Lorenzo Porto who died in Concentration camp. I’ve now reconnected with my Jewish roots and faith. I feel I’ve come home to who I’ve always been deep down. Hebrew names like Miriam and my maternal aunt Esther have always been in our family.
Well most of italians do know about their jewish ancestry In 1350 aa lot of them were convert.
Plus Italia remains with many jewish communities.
They carry names of professions, cities and combined items.
If you are talking about italo americans then it makes sense , they do not know about it.
Most of jews born in Italy fled to North America .
South América many specially Brasil, Uruguay and
por favor, Victoria , me ajude! https://www.facebook.com/joseangeliniaquino.autor.1
I would like to know if my mothers name Calabrese I’m Calabria would be Jewish?
Yes it, based on “Diciionario Sefaradi De Sobrenomes” = Sefardi surname
: Dictionary of Sephardic surnames : including Christianized Jews, Conversos, Marranos, Italians(!), Berbers, and their history in Spain, Portugal and Italy(!).
.
Because of the language barrier, it’s hard for me to do any ancestors research in Italy. My surname is kind of unique, and my grandmother’s surname translates to “from Persia”. Her family, not sure which (maternal or fraternal) come from Spain. That family story was confirmed in a sibling’s DNA showing a 7-10% Iberian. I wish I could research all these more. I did this for my British (so I though, lol) all the way back to the 1500s.
It definitely comes from where your ancestors were when they were giving surnames. It could be that they were orphaned, thus taking the name of where they were, or where they were from, it could be that it’s just what they chose, or that it was chosen for them, etc. I don’t see why it couldn’t be Jewish. For instance, I noticed Di Veroli, and that’s a small town near Frosinone in Lazio. I also noticed D’Italia too. I know a couple of Italian Jews. Their surnames are Russo and Fonseca. I hope you’re able to find out your ancestry. It’s such a feeling of emptiness for me; that not knowing the history of your family beyond some vague stories of great grandparents.
Good luck!