Caruso Family Crest and Surname Origin
A short guide to the Caruso surname: its meaning, its roots in Italy, and its heraldry.
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Origin of the Caruso name
Caruso comes from the southern Italian word caruso, meaning a boy or young lad and, in Sicily, a shaven-headed youth. It began as a nickname, perhaps for someone young-looking or with closely cropped hair. The surname is typical of Sicily, Campania and Calabria, and emigration carried it widely to the Americas.
A Sicilian name
Caruso is southern Italian, and above all Sicilian. It comes from the dialect word carusu, "boy" or "young lad", which in 19th-century Sicily also named the carusi, the boys who hauled sulphur in the island's mines. As a surname it began as a nickname, perhaps for a youthful-looking man or for the youngest of a family.
Forebears estimates about 62,000 Carusos in Italy, where it ranks about 25th. Heavy emigration from Sicily and Campania shows in the 2010 US Census, which counted 20,367 (ranked 1,758th), and in sizeable communities in Argentina and Australia. The tenor Enrico Caruso, born in Naples in 1873, is the bearer most people know.
Our historical archives hold much more on the Caruso name: dates, names and records of early bearers.
This overview covers the Caruso name in Italy. We also hold records of the name in other countries, such as the United States, Argentina and Brazil; your full pack is researched for your family's country of origin.
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The researched Caruso pack traces meaning, early bearers and migration routes, and includes a personalized Caruso coat of arms.
Caruso name FAQ
What does the Caruso name mean?
Boy, young lad; close-cropped head. Common variants include Carusi, Carusio, Carusone.
Where does the Caruso surname come from?
It originates in Italy, and is also found in the United States, Argentina and Brazil.
Is there a Caruso coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals, not whole surnames, so there is no single Caruso crest. Herald Lab paints a personalized Caruso coat of arms based on historic heraldry.
What does Caruso mean?
"Boy" in Sicilian dialect; it started as a nickname.
Is Caruso a Sicilian name?
Mostly. It is most frequent in Sicily, Calabria and Campania.
Further reading on Caruso
Researching your ancestors? Our Caruso family history and genealogy page lists the archives to use, and famous people named Caruso introduces notable bearers.
Researched by Herald Lab Research Studio, since 1993. Sources: De Felice, Dizionario dei cognomi italiani; Caffarelli & Marcato, I cognomi d'Italia. Facts and figures: Forebears surname distribution (estimates); US Census Bureau, 2010 surname file; Wikipedia, "Caruso (surname)". Forebears figures are modelled estimates, rounded.