Calabrese History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Italy

From the ancient and beautiful Italian island of Sicily emerged a variety of distinguished names, including the notable surname Calabrese. Although people were originally known only by a single name, it became necessary for people to adopt a second name to identify themselves as populations grew and travel became more frequent. The process of adopting fixed hereditary surnames was not complete until the modern era, but the use of hereditary family names in Italy began in the 10th and 11th centuries. Italian hereditary surnames were developed according to fairly general principles and they were characterized by a profusion of derivatives coined from given names. Although the most traditional type of family name found in the region of Sicily is the patronymic surname, which is derived from the father's given name, local surnames are also found. Local names, which are the least frequent of the major types of surnames found in Italy, are derived from a place-name where the original bearer once resided or held land. Often Italian local surnames bore the prefix "di," which signifies emigration from one place to another, and does not necessarily denote nobility. The Calabrese family lived in Viterbo.

Early Origins of the Calabrese family

The surname Calabrese was first found in the southern region of Sicily.

Early History of the Calabrese family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Calabrese research. The years 1656, 1659, 1664, 1666, 1669, 1750 and 1804 are included under the topic Early Calabrese History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Calabrese Spelling Variations

Italian surnames come in far more variations than the names of most other nationalities. Regional traditions and dialects are a decisive factor in this characteristic. For example, northern names tend to end in "o", while southern in "i". Also important, but not unique to Italy, was the fact that before dictionaries and the printing press most scribes simply spelled words according to their sounds. The predictable result was an enormous number of spelling variations. The recorded spellings of Calabrese include Calabria, Calabrèse, Calabrese, Calabrèsi, Calabresi, Càlabri, Calabri, Calabra, Calabrètta, Calabretta, Calabr and many more.

Early Notables of the Calabrese family

Prominent among bearers of this surname in early times was

Alessandro Calabrese, born in Lecce in 1804, was a prominent painter...

Calabrese Ranking

In the United States, the name Calabrese is the 4,478^th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 1

Calabrese migration to the United States +

An examination of many early immigration records reveals that people bearing the name Calabrese arrived in North America very early:

Calabrese Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Alfonso Calabrese, aged 22, who landed in America from Mercogliano, in 1904
Alberica Calabrese, aged 4, who immigrated to the United States from Volturara, Avellino, in 1909
Alessio Calabrese, aged 24, who immigrated to the United States from Benevento, Vitulano, in 1909
Adolfo Calabrese, aged 45, who landed in America from Sorino, Italy, in 1910
Alessandro Calabrese, aged 46, who landed in America from Volturara, Italy, in 1910
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Calabrese (post 1700) +

Joan Frances Calabrese (1939-2017), American children's high end clothing fashion designer
Gerald A. Calabrese (1925-2015), American Democratic Party politician, Mayor of Cliffside Park, New Jersey for fifty years and former NBA basketball player
Greg Calabrese, American soap opera actor, best known for his role on The Young and the Restless
Elizabeth Calabrese, American New Jersey Democratic Party politician
Anthony Orlando Calabrese (1907-1991), American politician, Member of the Ohio Senate (1956-1980)
Veronica Calabrese (b. 1987), Italian silver and two-time bronze medalist taekwondo practitioner
Giovanni Calabrese (b. 1966), Italian bronze medalist rower at the 2000 Olympics
Guillermo Calabrese (1961-2023), Argentine chef, born in Buenos Aires, he founded numerous restaurants

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/