Arbër History

A multilingual research archive

Arbër History

Arvanites, Arbëreshë, Arbanasi and Arnaut: six centuries of migration, language and identity, documented with sources.

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Migration routes from medieval Arbër A schematic map showing routes from the Arbër homeland to Zadar in Dalmatia, Calabria and Sicily in Italy, Attica and the Peloponnese in Greece, and Anatolia. ADRIATIC IONIAN AEGEAN Arbër medieval homeland ArbanasiZadar ArbëreshëCalabria Sicily ArvanitesAttica, Morea ArnautAnatolia
Schematic routes, 13th–19th centuries. Positions are approximate.

One people, many names

The Arbër communities share a common origin in medieval Albania, yet diverged across centuries of migration into Greece, Italy, the Adriatic coast and the Ottoman world. This archive brings together surnames, ethnonyms, migration records and regional histories, with evidence levels clearly marked and sources cited.

Arbër History is an independent educational and documentary project. It does not advocate political positions, territorial claims or ethnic superiority. Historical interpretations may differ among scholars; wherever possible we present primary sources so readers can examine the evidence themselves.

4diaspora communities
6languages
600+years of history
Opento community contributions

Four communities

Distinct identities with a shared origin.

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  • Arvanites

    Greece, speaking Arvanitika

    Albanian-speaking communities who settled in central and southern Greece during the late medieval period. Arvanitika is a distinct variety of Albanian.

    13th–15th c.

  • Arbëreshë

    Southern Italy and Sicily

    Descendants of Albanian refugees who fled Ottoman expansion. They preserve the Arbëresh dialect and Byzantine Rite traditions.

    15th–16th c.

  • Arbanasi

    Zadar, Dalmatia (Croatia)

    A small community that settled near Zadar on the Dalmatian coast, keeping a distinct dialect and a Catholic identity within the Adriatic world.

    17th–18th c.

  • Arnaut

    Ottoman Empire and Anatolia

    The Ottoman Turkish name for Albanians who served in the empire’s military and administration, leaving traces across the Balkans and Anatolia.

    15th–19th c.

Migration waves

Key moments in the dispersal of Arbër communities, as traditionally dated.

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  1. c. 1300sAlbanian settlers move into Thessaly, Attica and the Morea.
  2. 1448Albanian soldiers settle in Calabria, among the first in Italy.
  3. 1468–1534After Skanderbeg’s death and the Ottoman advance, refugees reach Italy and Sicily.
  4. 1726–1733Families from the Lake Shkodër area found Arbanasi near Zadar.
  5. 15th–19th c.Albanians in Ottoman service settle across the Balkans and Anatolia.

Research tools

Four ways into the archive.

Surname database

Search and filter Albanian-origin surnames across all four communities, with etymological notes, confidence levels and sources.

Migration waves

Documented migration events from the 13th to 19th centuries, with estimated population figures and historical causes.

Ethnonym dictionary

How communities named themselves and were named by others: Arbër, Arvanitis, Arbëresh, Arnaut and more, traced through time.

Claims register

Hypotheses about origins, demographics and identity, each with an evidence level from high to unverified and the current scholarly assessment.

Publications

Corpus Arberensis

A compiled corpus of primary source texts documenting Albanian-speaking diaspora communities, with attestations from Byzantine, Venetian, Ottoman and Western European sources.

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