This interesting article, found on the Best of Sicily Magazine website and written by Luigi Mendola, attempts to dispel a few myths while considering the origins and development of various surnames and how they originated in Sicily.

It takes a bit of reading to fully focus on what he is trying to convey but there is some good content and many other links which provide useful information.

What is a Sicilian?

The first chapter of the book written by Mendola and titled Sicilian Genealogy & Heraldry begins with “What is a Sicilian?” It has been noted that it may be the deciding factor in your successful discovery of Sicilian ancestors and a unique Sicilian heritage.

Here’s a snippet of what you can expect to read…

Unfortunately, the misperception persists, with many Sicilians believing that every Sicilian surname having a Greek or Norman-French root indicates that the family was therefore of Greek or Norman origin in the male line. This is nonsense. It would be like saying that any boy named Cesare was descended in the male line from Julius or Augustus Caesar….

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This wonderfully informative site is an excellent starting point to researching your Jewish/Italian ancestry.  You’ll find everything from DNA information to former surnames of Jews by provinces such as Rome, Venice and Sicily. There are also plenty of resource links to explore.  Definitely worth checking it out!  For more Jewish names check out our post Italian Jewish Surnames & Genealogy – Part I.  

From Italian Family History:

Italy has a very important role in Jewish history and genealogy: it is located centrally on the Mediterranean sea and serves as an important crossroad and an intersection between North and South, East and West, Sephardic and Ashkenazi culture.
If your ancestors lived in or came from Europe, there
are many possibilities that a branch of your family went through Italy. 

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