Calogero (from the , a familiar term for a monk) is common given name and family name, and a place name of Greek origin.
Variants
- (Masculine): Calocero
- (Hypocoristic): Calò, Gero, Gerino
- Feminine: Calogera, Calocera
Variants in other languages
- , ,
- (Kalogeros)
- ,
- (Kaloger)
- ,
- , Calógerio,
Origin and diffusion
Derived from the , composed of (Ancient Greek "fair"; Modern Greek "good") and ("old man", "old") and literally means "nice old man", "one who has nice old age""; the first element is reminiscent of such names as Calliope and Callimachus, while the second is reminiscent of the name Gerontius. A second interpretation, not generally accepted, is that the second element is the Greek (grain), according to which the name would mean "good grain".
Historically, in the ambit of Greek Orthodoxy, the term caloyer is used as a name for a monk or a hermit, in a manner that translates as "brother" or "monk", a significance that is retained in Modern Greek.
The name is traditionally found in and is characteristic of Sicily, bestowed by the cultus of Saint Calogerus the Anchorite, a monk and hermit near Sciacca; in the province of Agrigento, Calogero is the third-most widespread masculine name, but it is well-attested in all the rest of the island.
Feast days
The feast day is celebrated on June 18 in honour of Saint Calogerus, exorcist and hermit in Sicily. Other feast dates recorded for the name are:
People
Mononym
Given name
- Calogero Bagarella (1935âÂÂ1969), Italian criminal and member of the Sicilian Mafia
- Calogero "Jerry" CalÃÂ (born 1951), Italian comedian and filmmaker
- Calogero "Charly" Chiarelli (born 1948), Italian-Canadian writer, storyteller, actor and musician
- Calogero Conti (1924âÂÂ2020), commonly referred to as "Zu Liddu", Sicilian mafioso
- Calogero Lo Giudice (1938âÂÂ2021), Italian politician
- Calogero Minacore (1910âÂÂ1993), also known as Carlos "The Little Man" Marcello, Italian-American mafioso who became the boss of the New Orléans crime family
- Calogero "Chazz" Palminteri (born 1952), American actor, screenwriter and producer; descended from immigrants from Agrigento, Sicily
- Calogero Pisano (born 1981), Italian politician
- Calogero Rizzuto (architect) (1955âÂÂ2020), Italian architect and historic preservationist
- Calogero "Don Calò" Vizzini (1877âÂÂ1954), historical Mafia boss of Villalba in the Italian province of Caltanissetta, Sicily
Surname
- Fiorenza Calogero (born 1978), Italian singer and actress
- Francesco Calogero (1935âÂÂ2026), Italian physicist and peace activist
- Calogero conjecture, minority interpretation of quantum mechanics (attributed to Francesco Calogero)
- CalogeroâÂÂDegasperisâÂÂFokas equation, the nonlinear partial differential equation (jointly attributed to Francesco Calogero)
- , Italian philosopher, thinker, activist, and Partito d'Azione politician
- Nicholas J. Calogero (1924âÂÂ2004), American politician
- Pascal F. Calogero Jr. (1931âÂÂ2018), American judge
Fictional
References
Bibliography