Surname Sciorra - Meaning and Origin
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Sciorra: What does the surname Sciorra mean?
The surname Sciorra is of Italian origin. Like many Italian surnames, it is derived from a particular characteristic or occupation of the first person who used the name. However, the specific meaning of Sciorra is not clear or documented. This could be due to the regional variations and dialects in Italy, which contribute to various interpretations for surnames. Often, understanding of older, less common Italian surnames might be lost over time or the meanings may have changed. Therefore, without specific historical or familial context, the exact meaning or origin of the surname Sciorra remains uncertain.
Order DNA origin analysisSciorra: Where does the name Sciorra come from?
The surname Sciorra is primarily associated with Italian descendants and is most commonly found in the US. According to the 2020 US Census, the top ten states with the most people bearing the surname Sciorra are New York, California, New Jersey, Florida, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Illinois, Ohio, North Carolina, and Virginia.
The Italian origins of the surname Sciorra can be traced to the Nuova Campagna area near Naples in southern Italy. This is supported by the fact that the highest concentration of Sciorra surname holders today was found in the United States, which coincides with the high levels of immigration from Italy during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
In the United States, many Sciorra family members can be found in the cities of New York City, Buffalo, Syracuse, Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, Baltimore, and Pittsburgh. Interestingly, the surname also crops up in unusual locations such as Hawaii, Alaska, and North Dakota.
In addition to the United States, a noticeable proportion of people with the surname Sciorra can be found in Southern Europe, Iceland, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Germany, in particular, has a concentration of Sciorras, as the surname is still used there in some areas.
Today, the presence of the surname Sciorra extends beyond simply Italian-American communities to any area where people of Italian descent exist. It’s safe to say that the Sciorra surname is a well-established name in America and beyond.
Variations of the surname Sciorra
The surname Sciorra is an Italian name derived from the ancient Sicilian nobility. It is spelled in many different ways, including Sciorra, Scirra, Sciara, and Scirica. There are also variants of the surname such as Sciorrato, Sciorrito, and Sciarrillo.
Other surnames with the same roots include Scirro, Sciarro, Sciarrino, Sciarrillo, Sciarrotta, Sciarra, Sciarillo, Sciarini, Scirri, and Sciarri. These variations are found mainly in families of Sicilian origin, and predominantly in the Iberian Peninsula and in parts of Southern Italy.
The roots of the surname can be traced back to the 11th century when a noble family of Sicilian origin began to rise in prominence. The family used the surname of Sciorra, and the members of this dynasty were known for their noble line of descent.
The name also survived in the form of Sciria, which evolved into Sciorra over the centuries, with some minor variations in spelling. This is one of the oldest known Italian surnames and can be found in Sicily, Calabria, and the Iberian Peninsula.
Since the Medieval times, the variants and spellings of the surname Sciorra have been found in numerous documents, from civil and religious records to aristocratic titles. The surname has also been adopted by families from other regions of Italy, particularly in the north of the country, where variations such as Sciore are found.
Famous people with the name Sciorra
- Annabella Sciorra: Emmy-nominated actress who has starred in many television series and films such as The Sopranos and Jungle Fever.
- Sandro Sciorra: Italian actor and director who has starred in several films such as The Invisible Boy and Jobless.
- Joseph Sciorra: Italian American folklorist, writer, and lecturer at Queens College
- Eliana Sciorra: daughter of Annabella Sciorra, singer-songwriter and activist.
- Matty Sciorra: Italian-American hip-hop artist and producer.
- Ric Sciorra: NBA player who played for the Washington Bullets in the mid 1990s.
- James Sciorra: American screenwriter and producer who has written for such shows as Hawai'd Five-O, Columbo, 21 Jump Street.
- Lou Sciorra: Musician and producer renowned for his work in recordings of Louis Prima, Sam Cooke, Elvis Presley, and other top artists.
- Vincent Sciorra: Jazz saxophonist and compositor who received a Grammy nomination in 2012 for his album In the Flow.