Sicily: Two lists of Jewish surnames

As Tracing the Tribe has previously noted, Sicily had a large medieval Jewish population. Following the 1492 expulsion of Jews from Spain, many of them came to Sicily. Unfortunately, the Jewish community was expelled from the island in 1493. Many left for mainland Italy, across the Straits of Messina, while others went underground.

Jewish settlements existed on Sicily since Roman times. According to some sources, the largest number were brought back by Pompey after he destroyed Jerusalem in 63BCE. Roman Proconsl Crassus was said to have sold 30,000 Jews as slaves.

By the Inquisition, there were Jewish quarters (giudecca) in 50 Sicilian cities and towns, as well as some islands off Sicily, with populations ranging from about 350-5,000 individuals.

Sicilian Jews lived there for more than 1,500 years and were active in all areas. They were prominent in trading, agriculture, medicine, philosophy, silk, as well as farming and manual trades.

Francesco Giunta and Laura Sciascia published a paper in Italia Judaica that includes transcriptions of 349 notary record fragments from the Sicilian Provincial State Archives concerning forced sales of properties following the Expulsion order, and listing Jewish sellers and Christian buyers back to 1492. Their paper contains transcriptions of all the records, in the original Latin, as well as an alphabetic list of the sellers followed by a listing of the buyers and then details of each transaction.

Here is the list from that source. X in both Sicilian and Catalan is pronounced as SH. The family name is in upper case with given names (if more than one individual) in parentheses.

Abadara Iesu, Abrac Aurifici Paxi, Adili David, Allegrottu Simone, Alluxi Sabet, Aluxu Salomone, Anaf Aron, Arnac Salamone, Asunsi Vita, Attuni/Actuni (Bestet, Busacca, Manuel, Samuel, Azarono), Aurifice/Laurifice (Busacca, Isacco, Leone, Sadia, Abram), Azarini (David, Iuda), Azeni (Aron, Bracon, Geremia, Manna, Mosè, Nissim, Pietropaolo, Sadia), Ben Iosep (Iacob, Leone, Salomon), Benassai Benedetto, Bina Mardoc, Bonet Iosep, Bonu Busacca, Calabrisi (David, Nissim, Salomon), Canet (Crixi, Donato), Catalano Nissim, Chicheri Gaudio, Chippet Xibita, Chispi Abram, Chispu Manuele, Cuino(Abram, Bonavogla, Geremia, Muxa, Rafael, Salomone, Senia), Dat Iuda, Elevi Muxa, Faudali Mardoc, Ficart Busacac, Finei Tobia, Fineni (Manuele, Ricco, Manuli), Fisico Beniamino, Furnari Iosep, Gazi Grazia, Gibet Xibita, Girachio (Gabriele, Salomone), Girgenti Sadia, Guillelmo Mussuto, Guini Savita, Insize Xibita, Isac (David, Muxa, Simone, Xibita), Iuzufi Vita, La Bonavogla Prospero, Laurifice (Aurifice) - see Aurifice, Levi (Busacca, Lia), Lincio (Gabriele, Iacob), Linzio Sadia, Lisia Xibita, Lu Medicu (Abram, David, Salomone, Samuele), Lu Presti (Busacca, Iacob, Scibita), Lumedicu Sadono, Lupu Zactarono, Marsili Sabet, Matrimora (David, Muxa), Millac (Muxa, Sabet), Mira Muxa, Mugnay Graziano, Muxa Maxalufo, Muxarella Gandio, Nagira Nissim, Nalini Aron, Nanu Xibita, Polizzi Anna (Xanna), Rabiki Muxa, Raskisi (Falichisi) Iuda, Rausa Grazia, Russo (Attono, Salomone), Sabuti Iesus, Sacerdotu (Aron, Barono, Busacca, Gabriele, Leono, Lia, Mardoc, Salomon), Salamon Abram, Samuel Xue, Sanzato Gentile, Simonis Muxa, Siracusa Abram, Stozu Iosep, Sufi (Leone. Nissim), Susan Salomone, Tagul (Asaraz, Mardoc), Tolu Iosep, Veri (Manuele, Perna), Vigivani (Muxa, Gabriel), Visa Abrac, Vita Manuel, Xaccaruni David, Xafini Abram, Xamuel Rabin, Xane, Xareri Mardoc, Xattarini David, Xifuni Abram, Xunina (David, Muxa, Iacob, Zibita), Zel Abram.

There is another listing of Jewish surnames and given names used in Messina, Sicily prior to 1492. Although this list has been previously posted on Tracing the Tribe, it may be interesting to compare both in one place. This is from Professor Giuseppe Martino's paper on The Jews of Messina, which is a fascinating Jewish history. Surnames are bolded below.

Abbanascia Mosè, Abraham Rabbi Jacob ben, Abulafia Abraham ben Shemuel, Abulrabbi Aaron, Amato Amergi, Aurifici (Aron, Vitali), Balsamo, Barone, ben Nachman Mosheh, ben Shalom Rabbi Abraham, Ben Yijù (Abraham,
Mubaschir, Surur, Shamwal, Moshe), Bonanno, Bonavoglia (Heftz) ( David, Mosè (Mohe), Bonfiglio, Brigandi, Bruno, Burrada, Campagna, Catalano Mose, Chanchio Sacerdote, Chaninello Muxa, Compagna (Aron, Muxa), Conti (Jacob, Rosa), Costantino, da Bertinoro Obadià, di Dioniso Giosuè, di Minisci (Salomone, Azaria), Fermo Elias, Finzi Gaudio, Gini (Salomone, Guglielmo), Hadad Rabbi Nathan ben Sa 'adiah, Hasdaj Mosè, Lagumina G, Marino, Marmici Elia, Mazza, Medici Mosè, Monomato (Giovanni, Pagana), Romano, Sanguinetti Rav Ismaele, Scivinell Isacco, Sigilmasi Rabbi Sa 'adiah, ben Izahaq, Sigtune, Spangnolo (Abramo, Iacopo, Mosè), Staiti, Syminto, Tudela Benjamin, Tzarfati Rabbi Natronay, Zacco (Giuseppe, Gaudio) .