Raza Italiana Cosas de la terra nostra
Around the year 1920, based on a survey conducted by Schaerf on Italian Hebrew surnames, Mussolini utilized this data to identify his racial enemies and their connections to Onomastics and Anti-Semitism.
Italian Jewish Surnames: A Historical Perspective
Surnames hold the history of individuals and the geography they migrated through. It is estimated that 60% of the surnames of Italian Jews have a link to this point. Notably, the Italian-Jewish surnames of Nobel laureates follow this pattern, with names like Fermi, Levi, Montalcini, Segre, and Modigliani.
Italian surnames of Hebrew origin that emphasize geography are prevalent due to the lack of other nuances, the insufficiency of human axes that formed them, and the uniformity of the social structure.
Formation of Italian Jewish Surnames
The term «surname» originates from the Latin «apellitare,» which means «to call repeatedly.» It was added to personal names to differentiate individuals from others. This led to the «cognominale» system, where people chose their given names while the surname was imposed and hereditary. Given names were subject to variations, while surnames were fixed and marked by time and place.
Thus, to determine certain characteristics, one must consider toponymy and linguistic mobility. In-depth research is necessary, with maturity and respect, to avoid value judgments, such as the widely shared notion of using a double «n» to distinguish German surnames, the ending «i» for Italian surnames, or «ini» for Hebrew surnames.
Toponymic, Ethnic, and Demonymic Surnames
- Foreign Toponymy: These surnames are «Italianized» versions of foreign names. In the case of German origins, this is due to Italian Germanophobia.
- Aragona: A surname possibly linked to the town of Aragona in Sicily, known for its Jewish presence.
- Algranati (Granada): Suggestive of a connection to the renowned Spanish city of Granada, which was home to a significant Jewish community.
- Segre: Derived from the Segre River in Spain, where Jews once resided before spreading to different regions.
- Alamanzi: This surname’s origins may be traced back to the town of Almansa in Spain.
- Porto (Oporto): Associated with the Portuguese city of Oporto, which was home to a thriving Jewish community.
- Fonseca: Tracing its roots to a Venetian patriot known as «Manín,» this surname possibly reflects a connection to the town of Fonseca in Spain.
- Durarte: Possibly derived from the city of Oran in Algeria, indicating a North African connection.
- Duran (de Orán): Similar to «Durarte,» this name also points to a link with the city of Oran.
- Girondi: Potentially connected to the historical region of Gironde in France.
- De Francia: A surname that may have originated from the region of Foix in France.
- Bedarida (Bedàrides): Possibly linked to the town of Bédarrides in France.
- Momigliano (Montmelian): Suggestive of a connection to Montmelian, a town in the French Alps.
- Cavaglione (Cavaglion): This surname’s roots may be tied to the locality of Cavaglion in Italy.
- Carcassona (Carcassone): Potentially associated with the historical city of Carcassonne in France.
- Lates (villa cercana a Beziers): Linked to a nearby village or locality close to Beziers, a city in southern France.
From Germany
- Artom
- Luzzatti, (Lausitz)
- Morpurgo (Marburg)
- Otolenghi (de Ettlingen)
- Diena (Jena)
- Treves (Triers)
- Minzi (Mainz)
- Allpron (Heilbrun)
Ethnic
- Greco (griego)
- Polacco (polaco)
- Tedeschi (Alemán)
- Gállico (Francés)
Italian Toponymy
- Ascoli
- Bassano
- Pavía
- Orvietto
- Camerino
- Viterbo
- Peruggia
- Fano
- Cividale
- Foligno
- Rietti
- Recanatti
- Montefiore
- Sonnio
- Massarani
- Vercelli
- Milni
- Romano
- Padovano/i
- Modigliani
- Pugliese
- Finzi.
List of Italian Jewish Surnames with Hebrew Linguistic Connotations
- Bolaffio (Abulaffia)
- Maestre (maestro o rabbi)
- Pacifici (Salomón)
- Sacerdote (Cohen)
- Bounaventura (Mazl Tov)
- Leone (Judah)
- Marco (Mordecai)
- Guglielmo (Benjamín)
- Césare (Hezekiah)
- Macri (Machir)
- Ascarelli (As Cari)
- Tranquillo (Manoach)
- Vivante (Hayyim)
- Benedicto (Baruch)
- Grassini (Gerschon)
- Meatti (Mea)
- Consiglio (Jecutiel)
- Consolo (Nachman)
- Del Vecchio (Zaken)
- Forti (Hazzak)
- Angeli (Malechai)
- Ferro (Barzilai)
- Pozzo (Beer)
- Bemporad (Ben Porad)
- Cammeo (Zafir)
- Colombo (Joná).
