SURNAMES IN ITALY

Surname Torregrossa

Origin and meaning

According to F. Miranda, Torregrossa is a surname derived probably from the name of a locality identified by the presence of a large tower: the first bearers of the surname were identified by living or working near the 'big tower'. It is a typically Sicilian surname that has nuclei, besides in the Palermo area (Palermo, Petralia Soprana, Carini), in that of Enna (Enna, Catenanuova, Villarosa, Centuripe), of Agrigento (Licata, Agrigento, Sciacca), of Caltanissetta (San Cataldo, Caltanissetta, Gela), of Catania and of Trapani. Through the effect of past migratory flows, it has family nuclei scattered in various Italian regions, above all of the centre-north: Lombardy, Lazio, Emilia-Romagna, Piedmont and the Marche.

According to E. Rossoni, Torregrosso is unique and probably due to a transcription error.

💡 The surname Torregrossa also appears as compound of the surname Torre in other studies consulted in this project.

Variants

Geographic distribution: Torregrossa: typically Sicilian, especially the Palermo area, with important nuclei in the Agrigento area and the Caltanissetta area.

📍 You can view how this surname is distributed in Italy: View distribution in Italy (Cognomix)

This entry brings together what 2 authors propose about the origin of the surname. In some cases they agree and reinforce a single hypothesis; in others, they contribute different views worth considering.

Sources

This entry of the Italian Surname Meanings dictionary is based on the following specialized onomastic sources:

  • Rossoni, E. (2002). Origine e storia dei cognomi italiani. Retrieved from https://www.cognomiitaliani.org
  • Miranda, F. (2013). I cognomi di Regalbuto, Catenanuova e Centuripe. Ginevra Bentivoglio EditoriA.