Calogero Vitanza - name meaning

[cmv4]

I have been scouring the internet to try to verify my understanding of the meaning of my name, and this seems like a good site to try to determine if what I have found is right.

My name is Charles (Calogero) Vitanza. This name has been passed down in my family for 4 generations (My Great-Grandfather was born in Raculmuto, Sicily).

Of the translation, my understanding is that:

-Calogero is derived from Greek. "Kalos" meaning "beautiful" and "Geron" meaning "elder". Pretty certain about this one, though there are small variations (venerable, noble for Kalos, old age for Geron)

-Vitanza is Italian in nature. "Vita" meaning "life" and "-anza" meaning "against", making my last name mean "against life" or basically "of death".

I am fairly sure of the meaning for Calogero, but not as positive about Vitanza.

Anyone able to clear this up?

Thanks.

[PeterTimber]

Vitanza is derived from the base surname VITA. Other variations are Vida and De Vita. Vita is prevalent in the south of Italy while Vida is rare.

Vita like Vitale and Vivante comes from late latin and medieval times and is quite common as well among Jewish families as a traditon of the Hebrew name and surname "hayyim= of life and life". =Peter=

[misbris]

Calogero is(was) popular in Sicily. Here is some info.

http://www.behindthename.com/name/calogero

[dnnisgomez]

Hi,

My name is Dennis Gomez. I have been searching for any information on the Vitanza family. My great grand father was from sicily, Messina. Give me a message and we can discuss it. He was born in 1887. He came to America in 1905.

[Tessa78]

Vitanza is derived from the base surname VITA. Other variations are Vida and De Vita. Vita is prevalent in the south of Italy while Vida is rare.

Vita like Vitale and Vivante comes from late latin and medieval times and is quite common as well among Jewish families as a traditon of the Hebrew name and surname "hayyim= of life and life". =Peter=

As Peter described, the base surname is VITA.
The "-anza" is more of a suffix than another word, and is similar to our suffix "-ance", used to denote "a way of being, a condition, a characteristic."

-Vitanza is Italian in nature. "Vita" meaning "life" and "-anza" meaning "against", making my last name mean "against life" or basically "of death".

I would interpret the meaning of "Vitanza" as "lively", rather than "from death."

T.

[mariea1]

Hi My understanding of the name Calogero in the Sicilian dialect is lily (the flower )My grandmother, Maria Vitanza Ingrassia had a brother Calogero Vitanza who came to the USA in the 1900s and lived for a time in Pittsburgh. They lived in Longi about 20 miles from S Agata. Does any of this sound familiar ? Best regards