Surname Calabria - Meaning and Origin

Calabria: What does the surname Calabria mean?

Calabria is a surname of Italian origin. It is directly derived from the region of Calabria, located in the southernmost part of mainland Italy. The name itself means "beautiful" or "fair" in ancient Greek. Many Italian surnames were based on geographical locations, often indicating that the person or their ancestors originated from that area. Therefore, someone with the last name Calabria may have family roots in that region. It was also common for people to adopt surnames based on their place of residence. Over time, the surname has spread globally, especially to countries like the United States, Argentina, Canada, Brazil and Australia, due to Italian immigration over the past few centuries. Today, Calabria is a relatively common Italian last name. The meaning of the surname may be less important to modern day bearers, but it continues to be a strong identification of their Italian heritage.

Calabria: Where does the name Calabria come from?

The last name Calabria is most commonly found in southern Italy. It is believed to be derived from the Latin word for "heel" as many of the people with this name come from the Calabria region, located in the southeastern "heel" of Italy. The Calabria region is still home to many people who bear this surname, although large numbers of Calabrias have since moved throughout the rest of Italy and the rest of the world as well.

In the United States, the last name Calabria has grown in popularity since the waves of Italian immigrants of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. These immigrants brought the name to many of the large cities like New York, Chicago, and San Francisco. It has since spread throughout the country and can now be found in pockets of communities all over the nation.

The same waves of immigration can be seen in Latin America, where many Italian immigrants settled in countries like Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay. The decades that followed saw the same Calabrias move throughout Mexico and across the Caribbean.

Elsewhere in the world, the last name Calabria is of lesser prevalence, but can still be found in Europe, Australia, and even countries like Thailand and Japan. While the name is not necessarily popular in these regions, it is not uncommon to find it among the locals, some of whom may have ancestral ties to Italy.

Variations of the surname Calabria

The surname Calabria is derived from the region of Calabria in Italy and has many variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin.

Common spellings of the surname Calabria include Calabro, Callabria, Callabriso, Colabri, Colabro, Calabrese and Calabrino. There are several related surnames that are all ultimately derived from the same origin.

Variants of Calabria include Calabritto, Calabrese, Calabrini, Calabra, Calabera, Calabre, Calabradi, Calabrino, Calabello, Calabresi, Calabreso, Calabreza, Calabretta, Calabruta, Calabrulo and Calabré.

There are also many different endings and prefixes applied to Calabria that results in different surnames. Common adaptations of Calabria include Calabreaza, Califano, Callabro, Calilia, Calomino, Calonico, Chiquillo, Lecalabre and Tagliaferro.

In general, the main origin of all these names is Calabria, the Italian region. The variants and spellings were most likely created by immigrants after they left Calabria and settled in other countries, resulting in different spelling variations and surnames.

Famous people with the name Calabria

• Tony Calabria: Actor, Producer & Writer
• Michael Calabria: Former MLB Catcher
• Monica Calabria: Italian Actress
• Gioia Calabria: Singer & Producer
• Jevon Calabria: Singer/Songwriter & Dancer
• John Calabria: Football Player
• Mariano Calabria: Lawyer, Politician & Author
• Salvatore Calabria: Actor & Writer
• Luca Calabria: Journalist & Storyteller
• Lina Calabria: Fashion Designer

Other surnames