| Pronunciation | Italian: [kaˈlɔːdʒero] |
|---|---|
| Gender | Male |
| Language | Italian |
| Name day | June 18 |
| Origin | |
| Word/name | Greek |
| Other names | |
| See also | Calogera, Calogerus |
Calogero (from the Greek: καλόγερος, romanized: kalógeros, a familiar term for a monk) is common given name and family name, and a place name of Greek origin.
Derived from the Ancient Greek: καλόγερος, romanized: kalogeros, composed of Ancient Greek: καλός, romanized: kalos (Ancient Greek "fair"; Modern Greek "good") and Ancient Greek: γέρων, romanized: geron ("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 keros (grain), according to which the name would mean "good grain".[dubious – discuss]
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 the whole of the island.
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:
