De Gregorio Surname in Italy

The surname De Gregorio is characteristic of Southern Italy, particularly widespread in Campania and Molise. It derives from the personal name Gregorio and is related to variants such as Degregorio, Di Gregorio, and Digregorio. The latter variant is especially prevalent in Apulia, notably around Santeramo in Colle (BA) and Cerignola (FG), while Di Gregorio is common across central and southern Italy. A notable historical figure bearing the name was the painter Giovanni de Gregorio (1579-1656), active in the Potenza area during the 17th century, commemorated by a plaque in the Cloister of the Capuchin Fathers in Potenza. The noble De Gregorio family settled in Squillace in 1755, with Don Leopoldo as the progenitor, who held important positions as minister to the courts of Naples and Madrid and later as ambassador to Venice.