"DiMaggio" coming from the Albanian name "Dhima"

[jr76x]

Ok,

I just want to know if this is possible yet, and if so, how i'd do it.

Basically, in Italy, there's a group of people, the Arbereshë, who are descendents of Albanian refugees who landed there to escape from the Ottoman Turks in the 15th Century, and have lived there, ever since.

My mother's line is directly descended from that.

Now, i've been able to get some amazing research done, back to around 1375 or so, but the records are listed with their "Italianized" names, that is, virtually every person who emigrated to Sicily changed their name to an Italian equilivant (or something simply Italian).

Well, as far as my research shows, the closest Albanian match of DiMaggio is "Dhima" (which come from Demeter, the goddess of fertility). DiMaggio refers to both the Roman Goddess of Fertility, as well as Mary, who represents fertility in Christianity, not to mention, the month itself and the fact that the names sounds sort of similar makes me think that "Dhima" is likely the origin for my family line of DiMaggios.

I also know the city they likely came from (Himarë, Vlorë, Albania).

Now, is there any way I can test this theory?

Mind you, we're going back over 500 years and I don't know how well these tests go beyond a few generations.

Thanks!

[GregKiroKH2]

I found history and mythology to be a great help with my search also . . .

[tomcat]

I think the way to test this surname hypothesis is via Y-DNA. Get Y-results from Albanian Dhima's (preferably from Himarë, Vlorë or thereabouts) and Italian DiMaggio's with Arbereshë ancestry.

[SaintManx]

Ok,

I just want to know if this is possible yet, and if so, how i'd do it.

Basically, in Italy, there's a group of people, the Arbereshë, who are descendents of Albanian refugees who landed there to escape from the Ottoman Turks in the 15th Century, and have lived there, ever since.

My mother's line is directly descended from that.

Now, i've been able to get some amazing research done, back to around 1375 or so, but the records are listed with their "Italianized" names, that is, virtually every person who emigrated to Sicily changed their name to an Italian equilivant (or something simply Italian).

Well, as far as my research shows, the closest Albanian match of DiMaggio is "Dhima" (which come from Demeter, the goddess of fertility). DiMaggio refers to both the Roman Goddess of Fertility, as well as Mary, who represents fertility in Christianity, not to mention, the month itself and the fact that the names sounds sort of similar makes me think that "Dhima" is likely the origin for my family line of DiMaggios.

I also know the city they likely came from (Himarë, Vlorë, Albania).

Now, is there any way I can test this theory?

Mind you, we're going back over 500 years and I don't know how well these tests go beyond a few generations.

Thanks!

Y Dna is the best way to figure out your theory. Easier said than done!

"DiMaggio" translates into "of May" probably meaning born in the month of May. DiMaggio may (no pun intended) may have sprung from Dhima, as it does translate from the greek, demeter. Italianised surnames did not appear regularly in Siciliy until the mid to late 1800's after the unification. The languages varied from region to region and in some cases, town to town. Obviously the Albanians were there from a long time ago, so I think in its' essence, your theory is plausible.

Bonu Fortunu!

[J Man]

Yes as others have said I think getting the Y-DNA of the DiMaggio line tested would be best thing to do to see if your family really is originally from Albania. If they are then your DiMaggio line should have a haplogroup that is common in the Balkans and you may even have some good matches still there.



Y-DNA: J2a*

[jr76x]

Y Dna is the best way to figure out your theory. Easier said than done!

"DiMaggio" translates into "of May" probably meaning born in the month of May. DiMaggio may (no pun intended) may have sprung from Dhima, as it does translate from the greek, demeter. Italianised surnames did not appear regularly in Siciliy until the mid to late 1800's after the unification. The languages varied from region to region and in some cases, town to town. Obviously the Albanians were there from a long time ago, so I think in its' essence, your theory is plausible.

Bonu Fortunu!

Well, DiMaggio isn't that simple. Yes, it refers to May, but it also refers to Mary, in terms of her sort of representation of fertility as well as from Maia, a Roman goddess of fertility, also derived from Demeter, not to mention the likeness of names.

There also was rumor they landed in the month of May (in Sicily) and that's where the name is taken from.

At this point, there is no doubt the family line is originally Albanian. Hell, my great-grandfather originally only spoke Arbereshe (Albanian in Italy). The city they are from in Sicily speaks Albanian TODAY, and I know at least two people who have been there.

Right now, I want to know exactly I have to go about it, and what test needs to be taken.

1. Am I right that this is only done by a Y-DNA test?
2. I remember hearing that variation occurs after 500 years or so, making this potentially difficult to test the probabilty.
3. If this is a Y-DNA test (or something else), I just have to get the whole mouth swab from a male member of my DiMaggio family and a male member of the Dhima family, to prove it, right?

Thanks!

[jr76x]

Yes as others have said I think getting the Y-DNA of the DiMaggio line tested would be best thing to do to see if your family really is originally from Albania. If they are then your DiMaggio line should have a haplogroup that is common in the Balkans and you may even have some good matches still there.



Y-DNA: J2a*

Well, i'm not sure if I can match up the Balkan DNA groups, since Albanians were never Slavic, and for what I understand of Bosnia-Hertznogovia, Croatia and Serbia, they're almost all Slavic, except displaced Albanians and Macedonians.

They were originally the Albanoi tribe of the Illyrians, who basically have been in the area since the Greeks were around, and likely derived from the preceding group to both of them, the Pelasgians.

BTW, is the J2a what you're talking about, a Balkan Y-DNA, or just your own?

[J Man]

Well, i'm not sure if I can match up the Balkan DNA groups, since Albanians were never Slavic, and for what I understand of Bosnia-Hertznogovia, Croatia and Serbia, they're almost all Slavic, except displaced Albanians and Macedonians.

They were originally the Albanoi tribe of the Illyrians, who basically have been in the area since the Greeks were around, and likely derived from the preceding group to both of them, the Pelasgians.

BTW, is the J2a what you're talking about, a Balkan Y-DNA, or just your own?

Well there is a good chance I think that your family may match some Albanians who are still living in the Balkans. You may get some Greek matches as well.

Yes I have read about the ancient Illyrians a fascinating people they were.

The J2a that I sign with is my own Y-DNA haplogroup. My line is from Aprigliano in Calabria, Southern Italy.


Y-DNA: J2a*

[jr76x]

Hi, I just want to resurrect this, given how quickly things are advancing.

Do any of you think there's a good chance of the proof I'm looking for coming about or is 600 or so years too long and will a mutation have occurred?

[vinnie]

jr76x,

What tests you have done depends on whose name DiMaggio is - yours (i.e., your father's), OR your mother's maiden name. If it's your name, then you want to do y-DNA testing on yourself, assuming that you're male; if you're female, then you have to have your dad, or a brother, or a male nephew do the test. If it's your mother's maiden name (her father's name), then you have to have a y-DNA test done on an uncle or male cousin who's a direct descendant of your mother's father. If you're interested in your mother's direct maternal ancestry (your mother's mother's etc. known Albanian roots), then you should do a mt-DNA test on yourself, whether you're male or female.

While you're waiting for test results, you can check out the Italy-related FTDNA surname projects to see what results, if any, are posted for any DiMaggio's.

What town in Sicily is your mother's family from? My maternal grandmother's village, Cerda, is just east of "The Plain of the Albanians" and my maternal grandfather's y-dna appears to be at least somewhat anciently related to a great number of Albanians/Kosovar Albanians.

Vinnie

[MMaddi]

At this point, there is no doubt the family line is originally Albanian. Hell, my great-grandfather originally only spoke Arbereshe (Albanian in Italy). The city they are from in Sicily speaks Albanian TODAY, and I know at least two people who have been there.

Which of the Sicilian Arberesh towns are your ancestors from - Mezzojuso, Piana degli Albanesi, Palazzo Adriano or Contessa Entellina? My paternal grandparents were born in Mezzojuso, but were not Arberesh, although my grandmother's two sisters married Arberesh brothers from Mezzojuso. Plus, I do have a couple of Arberesh surnames in my family tree that come in around 1800, so I'm probably 1/32 or 1/64 Arberesh.

If your yDNA or mtDNA result represents a line of Sicilian ancestry, please join the Sicily Project, if you haven't already.

[jr76x]

Re: Vinnie

It's my mother's line, so I would have to get a male cousin of mine (I have two of them with the name still (aka the Y-DNA)) as well as someone from the city in Albania (or Pirro Dimas from Greece, since he's also from there, although i'm not keen on bothering random Olympic Celebrties).

As for maternal-maternal-maternal (on and on) lines, unless you're Jewish, and there's both a genetic trait and heritage to it, I simply don't get the point. People moved all over the place, historically, and their culture was absorbed into what ever culture was in the region they moved, given the patriarchial nature of society at the time.

Like in my case, while my mother was born a DiMaggio, (Y-DNA probably originally Albanian), her mother was a Peri (Y-DNA probably originally Spanish), her mother was a Laudani (Y-DNA Eastern Sicilian - meaning either Greek or Sicels), her mother was a Zappala (Y-DNA Eastern Sicilian - meaning either Greek or Sicels), her mother was a Platania (Y-DNA Eastern Sicilian - meaning either Greek or Sicels), her mother was a Laudani (Y-DNA Eastern Sicilian - meaning either Greek or Sicels).

As per the records i've read, Catania was founded by Chalcians and Ionians from Naxos, down the street from there, although you got random people from places like Athens in there as well as pseudonative Sicels, who probably came from Central Italy and you can see how this all becomes a mess. Based on this, I am absolutely certain I have no Albanian mtDNA in me. It would be likely Greek, with a remote chance of being Central Italian, with the X-Chromosones following such a direction. .

So, anyway, my interest is in the patrilinial direction of my mother's line, simple as that.

My mother's line comes from Santa Cristina Gela, which is next door to and made up of descendants of farmers from Piana Degli Albanesi (Plain of the Albanians), who came from Himare, Albania in the mid to late-1400s. Cerda is somehwat close (a bit of a drive), although I have ancestors on other lines who were from Sciara, Caccamo and Trabia, much closer to Cerda (IMO).

- JR

jr76x,

What tests you have done depends on whose name DiMaggio is - yours (i.e., your father's), OR your mother's maiden name. If it's your name, then you want to do y-DNA testing on yourself, assuming that you're male; if you're female, then you have to have your dad, or a brother, or a male nephew do the test. If it's your mother's maiden name (her father's name), then you have to have a y-DNA test done on an uncle or male cousin who's a direct descendant of your mother's father. If you're interested in your mother's direct maternal ancestry (your mother's mother's etc. known Albanian roots), then you should do a mt-DNA test on yourself, whether you're male or female.

What town in Sicily is your mother's family from? My maternal grandmother's village, Cerda, is just east of "The Plain of the Albanians".

Vinnie

[jr76x]

Re: MMaddi

Which of the Sicilian Arberesh towns are your ancestors from - Mezzojuso, Piana degli Albanesi, Palazzo Adriano or Contessa Entellina? My paternal grandparents were born in Mezzojuso, but were not Arberesh, although my grandmother's two sisters married Arberesh brothers from Mezzojuso. Plus, I do have a couple of Arberesh surnames in my family tree that come in around 1800, so I'm probably 1/32 or 1/64 Arberesh.

If your yDNA or mtDNA result represents a line of Sicilian ancestry, please join the Sicily Project, if you haven't already.

They are from Piana Degli Albanesi, by proxy of Santa Cristina Gela, of which both towns are nearly 100% Arberesh. In my opinion, physically, most people there even look far more Albanian than Italian (although it IS all Mediterranean, I know).

I may consider making a separate Arberesh Project, although it would probably be pretty small (when I get the $$$, approval and connections for the test).

My great-grandfather was born there and all of his family names look to be Albanian derivatives, so I think it's fair to expect myself to be 1/8 Arberesh. I have a distant cousin who is 1/4 Arberesh, and like I said, if the city of origin is to be Himare, then there are people with the same surname living there today I can work with.

Additionally, I am 3/8th Sicilian, though, and will contribute that to the Sicilian Project(although it is from my mother's side, meaning only the mtDNA will do any good for you).