The Family Name Varsano: My entire life people would ask me “Varsano, sounds Italian, are you Italian?” I was always told that we were Sephardic Jews and that Varsano was actually a Spanish name, Ladino to be technical but most people don’t know what that is. However, I was never really sure if I had Italian heritage and when you’re eating in an Italian restaurant it seemed better to be Italian somewhere back in time. Then a couple of years ago I took a DNA test and it turns out that I’m up to 20% Italian which was mostly a surprise to me and one of the inspirations for moving forward with the Varsano Roots Project. 

-Jon Varsano 2022

Varsano Family Mysteries

• Does the Varsano family name originate from Provence, France?
• How long did the Varsano family live in Italy? When and where?
• Did the Jewish Varsanos intermarry with non-Jews in the Old World?
• When did the Varsanos live in North Africa?
• Why did the Varsanos of Bulgaria move from Salonica, the Jerusalem of the Balkans?
• Is everyone with the Varsano surname related?

If you know the answer to any of these questions or have any additional insight into the history of the Varsano family, then please contact us.