Most common surnames in Sicily by town.

[Ulla]

Saladino is generally taken to be of Arabic root but it doesn't necessarily imply Arab ancestry.

Yes, Latin Saladinus is derived from Arab Ṣalāḥ al-Dīn. It was just a medieval name also spread over Northern Italy (and probably even in France, Germany and elsewhere). I agree that doesn't necessarily imply Arab ancestry. As many Italian medieval names of Germanic origin don't necessarily imply German ancestry.

Lorenz Saladin, Swiss mountain-climber

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lorenz_Saladin

Paul Saladin Leonhardt, German chess master

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Saladin_Leonhardt

[Ulla]

I've met people with it who look far from Lombard lol.

They are so many! Are really all of them of Lombard ancestry? I'm wondering.

In Southern Italy there are also lots of Genovese, Veneziano, Toscano, Tedesco...

[Sikeliot]

They are so many! Are really all of them of Lombard ancestry? I'm wondering.

In Southern Italy there are also lots of Genovese, Veneziano, Toscano, Tedesco...

I doubt it. Might have meant an ancestor looked Lombard and got the nickname.

[alfieb]

They are so many! Are really all of them of Lombard ancestry? I'm wondering.

In Southern Italy there are also lots of Genovese, Veneziano, Toscano, Tedesco...

Sure. One distant paternal relative centuries ago is their forebearer. People did relocate when opportunities arose, and if you were Alberto from Liguria, in Palermo you would become Alberto Genovese.

[Ulla]

Sure. One distant paternal relative centuries ago is their forebearer. People did relocate when opportunities arose, and if you were Alberto from Liguria, in Palermo you would become Alberto Genovese.

Thanks. I think so. But they are really a lot. Just wondering if this kind of surnames could also be nicknames by a certain time.

[Ulla]

I doubt it. Might have meant an ancestor looked Lombard and got the nickname.

I agree. In some cases it's more probably a nickname.

[alfieb]

PROVINCE OF PALERMO:
Province-wide: Russo, Messina, Vitale


Alia: Di Piazza, Guccione, Todaro
Alimena: Scelfo, Gangi, Chiodo
Aliminusa: Dolce, Ricotta, Grisanti
Altavilla Milicia: Gagliardo, Urso, Fricano
Altofonte: Di Carlo, La Barbera, Vassallo
Bagheria: Aiello, Di Salvo, Mineo
Balestrate: Vitale, Russo, Agrusa
Baucina: Lo Cascio, La Barbera, Pollina
Belmonte Mezzagno: Chinnici, Bisconti, La Rocca
Bisacquino: Caronna, Ragusa, Marino
Blufi: Macaluso, Albanese, Lio
Bolognetta: Sclafani, Vilardi, Lo Cascio
Bompietro: La Placa, Sabatino, Albanese
Borgetto: Rappa, Cangialosi, Petruso
Caccamo: Cecala, Randazzo, Gullo
Caltavuturo: Sireci, Siragusa, Ruggirello
Campofelice di Fitalia: Ruggero, Cuttitta, Insigna
Campofelice di Roccella: Vaccaro, Battaglia, Fazio
Campofiorito: Bono, Oddo, Colletti
Camporeale: Liotta, Vaccaro, Lipari
Capaci: Vassallo, Giambona, Costanzo
Castelbuono: Mazzola, Fiasconaro, Cicero
Casteldaccia: Canale, Tomasello, Guzzo
Castellana Sicula: Di Gangi, Macaluso, Ferruzza
Castronovo di Sicilia: Tirrito, Gattuso, Biancorosso
Carini: Mannino, Amato, Randazzo
Cefalà Diana: Barbaria, Costanza, Caldarella
Cefalù: Glorioso, Culotta, Tumminello
Cerda: Cicero, Liberti, Cirra
Chiusa Sclafani: Gendusa, Marchese, Colletti
Ciminna: Urso, Scimeca, Catalano
Cinisi: Palazzolo, Vitale, Evola
Collesano: Cirrito, Gargano, Fullone
*Contessa Entellina: Lala, Cuccia, Schiro
Corleone: Di Miceli, Riina, Grizzaffi
Ficarazzi: Martorana, Macchiarella, Saverino
Gangi: Mocciaro, Sottile, Scavuzzo
Geraci Siculo: Corradino, Maggio, Sacco
Giardinello: Polizzi, Caruso, De Luca
Giuliana: Campisi, Musso, Scaturro
Godrano: Caldarella, Cuttitta, Cannella
Gratteri: Cirincione, Di Maio, Muffoletto
Isnello: Mogavero, Vacca, Grisanti
Isola delle Femmine: Bruno, Aiello, Lucido
Lascari: Ilardo, Polizotto, Cimino
Lercara Friddi: Miceli, Lucania, Catalano
Marineo: Spinella, Tuzzolino, Cangialosi
*Mezzojuso: Tavolacci, Schiro, Di Grigoli
Misilmeri: Schimmenti, Vitrano, Amodeo
Montelepre: Gaglio, Candela, Terranova
Montemaggiore Belsito: Gullo, Militello, Scaccia
Monreale: Madonia, Messina, Ferraro
*Palazzo Adriano: Di Giovanni, Cuccia, Gagliano
Palermo: Messina, Gambino, Russo
Partinico: Salvia, Viola, Russo
Petralia Soprana: Sabatino, La Placa, Macaluso
Petralia Sottana: Farinella, Macaluso, Sabatino
*Piana degli Albanesi: Schiro, Matranga, Cuccia
Polizzi Generosa: Cascio, Albanese, David
Pollina: Giambelluca, Cinquegrani, Musotto
Prizzi: Pecoraro, Vallone, Collura
Roccamena: Moscarelli, Palmeri, Roppolo
Roccapalumba: Cirrincione, Pravata, Sanzone
San Cipirello: Randazzo, Maniscalco, Cannella
San Giuseppe Jato: Simonetti, Di Maggio, Maniscalco
San Mauro Castelverde: Scialabba, Drago, Zito
*Santa Cristina Gela: Palermo, Cusimano, Cuccia
Santa Flavia: D'Amato, Sanfilippo, Lo Coco
Sclafani Bagni: Capuano, Geraci, Chimento
Sciara: Fragale, Patti, Passafiume
Scillato: Nicchi, Vitale, Portogallo
Termini Imerese: Rinella, Battaglia, Bova
Terrasini: Palazzolo, Maniaci, Vitale
Torretta: Gambino, Di Maggio, Caruso
Trabia: Sunseri, Cancilla, Vallelunga
Trappeto: Russo, Cusumano, Orlando
Ustica: Tranchina, Caminita, Mancuso
Valledolmo: Vallone, Battaglia, Mancuso
Ventimiglia di Sicilia: Anzalone, Mannina, Di Gangi
Vicari: Pecoraro, Anzalone, Macaluso
Villabate: Fontana, Pitarresi, Costa
Villafrati: La Barbera, Costanza, Ribaudo


Notes: (1) Villages with names in italics and with an asterisk were founded by ethnic Albanians and contain Arbereshe-speakers. (2) It took too much effort to color code them previously. I may do it later, but I couldn't be bothered to now.

[Volscian]

@Alfieb
The mother of a friend of mine is from Favara(AG) and her surname is Bellavia. Is it common enough?

[Sikeliot]

Macaluso might have an Arabic root.

I didn't know Vassallo was Palermitan, I thought it was from Caltanissetta.

[Ulla]

Macaluso might have an Arabic root.

I didn't know Vassallo was Palermitan, I thought it was from Caltanissetta.

Vassallo is also a Ligurian and Piedmontese surname. Vassalli is a Lombard surname.

Some Sicilian surnames can be found also in Northern Italy and it doesn't always imply a migration (from North to South or vice versa).