If Italians have Greek origin surnames how recent is their Greek ancestry?

[Sikeliot]

It usually implies ancestry from the 14th-18th Century at the earliest. These are the dates the Griko communities in Apulia and Calabria were founded.

So someone like New England Patriots player Jimmy Garoppolo probably has Greek ancestry from the last 500 years.

[Amor Vincit Omnia]

it don't fit with the Thread ...but I think it s linked in some way .....

....still now in south Italy ...Italian show around 37 per cent of greek genetic influence , that it's huge !!

[Tacitus]

It usually implies ancestry from the 14th-18th Century at the earliest. These are the dates the Griko communities in Apulia and Calabria were founded.

Or even earlier, as many Greeks/Byzantines left for these regions during the iconoclast controversy of the 8th century.

Bear in mind too places like southern Calabria (from Vibo Valentia down) was still largely Greek-speaking until the 16th century. So the Garoppolo example: the name probably means someone from the hamlet of Garopoli, located within the town of S. Pietro di Carida'. Does it mean he has Greek ancestry? Can't 100% say so, unless he ever decided to follow the paper trail or take a DNA test.

[Peter Nirsch]

the tale about Italians connected with Greece is a legend common exclusively among Americans.
Part of Southern Italy was the so called Magna Graecia more than 2000 years go. Then a lot of things happened.

[Milfiades]

the tale about Italians connected with Greece is a legend common exclusively among Americans.
Part of Southern Italy was the so called Magna Graecia more than 2000 years go. Then a lot of things happened.

Southern Italy was also part of the Byzantine Empire.

[Scholarios]

Or even earlier, as many Greeks/Byzantines left for these regions during the iconoclast controversy of the 8th century.

Bear in mind too places like southern Calabria (from Vibo Valentia down) was still largely Greek-speaking until the 16th century. So the Garoppolo example: the name probably means someone from the hamlet of Garopoli, located within the town of S. Pietro di Carida'. Does it mean he has Greek ancestry? Can't 100% say so, unless he ever decided to follow the paper trail or take a DNA test.

Could be, but I think surnames- at least surnames in Italy weren't established until 13th or 14th century- at least in the south. Of course greek influence could be earlier though.

[Peter Nirsch]

Southern Italy was also part of the Byzantine Empire.

then a lot of things happened.

[Tacitus]

the tale about Italians connected with Greece is a legend common exclusively among Americans.
Part of Southern Italy was the so called Magna Graecia more than 2000 years go. Then a lot of things happened.

We're talking about the Griko communities, areas where Greek influence was strongest.

[Sikeliot]

Or even earlier, as many Greeks/Byzantines left for these regions during the iconoclast controversy of the 8th century.

Bear in mind too places like southern Calabria (from Vibo Valentia down) was still largely Greek-speaking until the 16th century. So the Garoppolo example: the name probably means someone from the hamlet of Garopoli, located within the town of S. Pietro di Carida'. Does it mean he has Greek ancestry? Can't 100% say so, unless he ever decided to follow the paper trail or take a DNA test.

Makes more sense for it to be a corruption of Greek surname Geropoulos.

[Era]

Makes more sense for it to be a corruption of Greek surname Geropoulos.

In Albania there are both Gero and Garo last names.