The Jews In Sicily

Jewish Names

Sicilian-Americans conducting family research have some excellent published guidelines to follow. Italian Genealogical Records by Trafford R. Cole is one and Finding Italian Roots by John Philip Colleta, is another. By following their suggestions your own research approach would include documenting stateside sources such as: information from relatives, immigration and naturalization records, census records, ship manifests, passports, etc. In Sicily your research would then go to municipal and provincial records which go back as far as the 1820s, then religious records which go back as far as about 1556 and then possibly earlier records such as tax and notary records which go back several hundreds of years farther. With Ferdinand's Edict of Expulsion of 1492, all Sicilian Jews who did not want to convert to Christianity had 90 days to get out of the Spanish realm under penalty of death. The fire sale was on. The fraction of the Jewish population that were merchants, and had property, had to sell it, pay the tax that was imposed, and leave. This included the butcher, the baker, and the candlestick maker. They all had to sell their tools and workshops, pay the taxes, and leave. Of course, all transactions had to be dutifully notarized. As a result of this painful circumstance, some fragments of notary records going back to 1492 exist in Sicilian Provincial State Archives that record the names of the Jewish sellers and the Christian buyers. Francesco Giunta and Laura Sciascia published a paper in Italia Judaica that contains their transcriptions of some of those fragments. Here's an alphabetical listing of the Jewish surnames and given names extracted from their paper:

Abadara Iesu Abrac aurifici Paxi Actuni Busacca Actuni (Attuni) Adili David Allegrottu Simone Alluxi Sabet Aluxu Salomone Anaf Aron Arnac Salamone Asunsi Vita Attuni Bestet Attuni Busacca Attuni Manuel Attuni Samuel Attuni (Actuni) Azarono Aurifice Busacca Aurifice Isacco Aurifice Leone Aurifice Sadia Aurifice (Laurifice) Abram Azarini David Azarini Iuda Azeni Aron Azeni Bracon Azeni Geremia Azeni Manna Azeni Mosè Azeni Nissim Azeni Pietropaolo Azeni Sadia Ben Iosep Iacob Ben Iosep Leone Ben Iosep Salomon Benassai Benedetto Bina Mardoc Bonet Iosep Bonu Busacca Calabrisi David Calabrisi Nissim Calabrisi Salomon Canet Crixi Canet Donato Catalano Nissim Chicheri Gaudio Chippet Xibita Chispi Abram Chispu Manuele Cuino Abram Cuino Bonavogla Cuino Geremia Cuino Muxa

Cuino Rafael Cuino Salomone Cuino Senia Dat Iuda Elevi Muxa Faudali Mardoc Ficart Busacac Finei Tobia Fineni Manuele Fineni Ricco Fineni Rinona Fineni Manuli Fisico Beniamino Furnari Iosep Gazi Grazia Gibet Xibita Girachio Gabriele Girachio Salomone Girgenti Sadia Guillelmo Mussuto Guini Savita Insize Xibita Isac David Isac Muxa Isac Simone Isac Xibita Iuzufi Vita La Bonavogla Prospero Laurifice (Aurifice) Levi Busacca Levi Lia Lincio Braxa Lincio Gabriele Lincio Iacob Linzio Sadia Lisia Xibita Lu Medicu Abram Lu Medicu David Lu Medicu Salomone Lu Medicu Samuele Lu Presti Busacca Lu Presti Iacob Lu Presti Scibita Lumedicu Sadono Lupu Zactarono Marsili Sabet Matrimora David Matrimora Muxa Millac Muxa Millac 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 Russo Salomone Sabuti Iesus Sacerdotu Aron Sacerdotu Barono Sacerdotu Busacca Sacerdotu Gabriele Sacerdotu Leono Sacerdotu Lia Sacerdotu Mardoc Sacerdotu Salomon Salamon Abram Samuel Xue Sanzato Gentile Simonis Muxa Siracusa Abram Stozu Iosep Sufi Leone Sufi Nissim Susan Salomone Tagul Asaraz Tagul Mardoc Tolu Iosep Veri Manuele Veri Perna Vigivani Muxa Vigiveni Gabriel Visa Abrac Vita Manuel Xaccaruni David Xafini Abram Xamuel Rabin Xane Xareri Mardoc Xattarini David Xifuni Abram Xunina David Xunina Muxa Xunina Iacob Xunina Zibita Zel Abram

Another List

Here's another alphabetical listing of Jewish surnames and given names used in Sicily before 1492. These names were extracted from Professor Martino's paper on The Jews of Messina.

Abbanascia Mosè Abraham Rabbi Jacob ben Abulafia Abraham ben Shemuel Abulrabbi Aaron Amato Amergi Aurifici Aron Aurifici Vitali Balsamo Barone ben Nachman Mosheh ben Shalom Rabbi Abraham Ben Yijù Abraham Ben Yijù Mubaschir Ben Yijù Surur Ben Yijù Shamwal Ben Yijù Moshe Ben Yijù Yusuf Bonanno Bonavoglia David Bonavoglia (Heftz) Mosè (Mohe) Bonfiglio

Brigandi Bruno Burrada Campagna Catalano Mosè Chanchio Sacerdote (prob. Rabbi) Chaninello Muxa Compagna Aron Compagna Muxa Conti Jacob Conti Rosa Costantino da Bertinoro Obadià di Dioniso Giosuè di Minisci. Salomone di Minisci. Azaria Fermo Elias Finzi Gaudio Gini Salomone Gini Guglielmo Hadad Rabbi Nathan ben Sa 'adiah

Hasdaj Mosè Lagumina G Marino Marmici Elia Mazza Medici Mosè Monomato Giovanni Monomato Pagana Romano Scivinell Isacco Sigilmasi Rabbi Sa 'adiah ben Izahaq Sigtune Spangnolo Abramo Spangnolo Iacopo Spangnolo Mosè Staiti Syminto Tudela Benjamin Tzarfati Rabbi Natronay Zacco Giuseppe Zacco Gaudio