Scarpa Surname in Italy

The surname Scarpa is widespread throughout Italy, with distinct branches and related variants concentrated mainly in central and northern regions. Variants such as Scarpetta, Scarpetti, Scarpi, Scarpis, and Scarpitta exhibit regional clusters: Scarpetta appears in the Marche, the area around Frosinone, between Bari and Taranto, and between Naples and Salerno; Scarpetti is found in Pesaro, the Piceno area, and Rome; Scarpi has roots in Veneto (Cavallino-Treporti, Venice, Verona) with secondary presences in Ravenna and Forlì, as well as a Tuscan cluster in Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Arezzo, and Siena; Scarpis is mostly located in the Treviso area at Colle Umberto; Scarpitta is present in Sicily (provinces of Palermo, Trapani, Agrigento) and Campania (notably Salerno province around Santa Marina, Sapri, and Camerota). These surnames likely originate from nicknames associated with the cobbler's trade. Historical records, including the State Archives of the Venetian Notaries, attest to bearers of the name as early as the 15th century, such as Notary Cristoforo De Scarpis active between 1419 and 1435. In the early 1600s, Gerolamo Scarpa served as notary for the Judges of Roads and Auctions in Bergamo, a respected office appointed annually by the city's council through secret ballot among distinguished citizens.