Abruzzese Surnames

Abruzzo and the Emigrant Stream to Pennsylvania

Abruzzo — the mountainous central Italian region east of Rome, bordering the Adriatic — is less well known in Italian-American history than Sicily or Campania, but its contribution was substantial. The region's combination of high altitude, poor agricultural land, and distance from economic centres drove emigration rates comparable to the south. Unlike Sicilian emigrants who concentrated in New York and New Orleans, Abruzzese emigrants went heavily to Pennsylvania — to the coal mines of the anthracite region, the steel mills of Pittsburgh, and the glass factories of west Pennsylvania.

Writers from Abruzzese backgrounds have made outsized contributions to Italian-American literature: John Fante, whose novels about growing up Italian-American in California drew on his Abruzzese family's experience, remains the most widely read Italian-American novelist.

The Di- Prefix in Abruzzese Surnames

One of the most recognisable features of Abruzzese surnames is the frequency of the Di- prefix — Di Giacomo (son of Giacomo), Di Battista (son of Battista), Di Camillo (son of Camillo), Di Benedetto (son of Benedetto). This patronymic construction is common across central and southern Italy, but it is disproportionately concentrated in Abruzzo and Molise. It is functionally equivalent to the Irish O' or the Scottish Mac.

In American immigration records, the Di- was frequently dropped, merged, or anglicised — Di Giacomo became Giacomo or James; Di Battista became Battista or Baptist. If your family researched an Italian-American surname and found it changed at Ellis Island, a dropped Di- prefix is a common explanation.

The L'Aquila Earthquake and Family Dispersal

L'Aquila, the capital of Abruzzo, was devastated by earthquakes in 1915 and again in 2009. The 1915 Marsica earthquake killed nearly 30,000 people across the Fucino basin and accelerated emigration from the region. Families in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts received news of catastrophic losses in their home villages — often receiving letters weeks after the events. This trauma left a mark on Abruzzese-American communities that persisted for generations.

Common Abruzzese Surnames

• Di Giacomo — son of Giacomo (James); widespread across Abruzzo and Molise
• D'Amico — from the given name Amico (friend); characteristic of Abruzzo and Molise
• Piccirilli — from the Neapolitan diminutive piccirillo (little one)
• Fiore — flower; can be from a female given name or a place name
• Evangelista — the evangelist; typically from a family with a tradition of naming sons after the four evangelists
• Mastrangelo — master Angelo; a compound of a title and a given name
• Silvestri — from Silvestro (Sylvester); forests and wild places (silva)
• Valente — brave, strong; from the Latin valens