Surname Meanings- What do your Surnames Mean?

As a nation state, Italy has emerged only in 1871. Until then the country was politically divided into a large number of independant cities, provinces and islands. The currently available evidences point out to a dominant Etruscan, Greek and Roman cultural influence on today's Italians.
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DanceDiva234
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Surname Meanings- What do your Surnames Mean?

Post by DanceDiva234 »

I was wondering about a discussing Italian surnames and their origin. Perhaps bigger history buffs would no more than I could find.

I was wondering about what your surnames originate from, what they mean, and any well known people who may have held your ancestor's surname even if you are not related to that certain person.
Family names: D'Attellis, Angelicola, Iarezza, Messineo, La Monica, Spero, Angelini
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Robin B Mc
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Re: Surname Meanings- What do your Surnames Mean?

Post by Robin B Mc »

http://www.ancestry.com/learn/facts/ is good for surname look ups but they don't always have rare names.

Personally, my most recent Italian surname was d'Amore (Anglicized to Demore) - which of course means just what it sounds like - "of love". It can be patronymic from the personal name Amore, or it can denote a foundling or illegitimate "love child". If my lineage has a foundling or illegitimate child, I haven't discovered it yet.

Many of my Italian surnames seem to be patronymic - Palladino is from the personal name Paladinus. Biello is from the personal name Viello or Viele. David (self explanatory).

From one of the sources Tessa provided (which linked to Ganino.com), Potestio is apparently a rare name that they think comes from the word potestia, meaning government - or potestius, "one who holds power".

I'm still not entirely sure about Scioli - Ganino.com says the following:
Scioli sembrerebbe originario della provincia di Isernia, di Monteroduni, con ceppi anche ad Isernia, a Guardiagrele e Miglianico nel teatino ed a Pescara e Roma, potrebbe derivare da un soprannome originato dal vocabolo medioevale sciolus (saputello), forse a sottolineare una caratteristica comportamentale del capostipite, secondo alcuni deriverebbe invece dall'agnomen (soprannome) latino Scaevola, che è a sua volta un diminutivo del termine latino scaevus (mancino, sinistro), ma è improbabile una trasformazione di questo tipo, visto che la pronuncia latina di questo agnomen era ben diversa da quella italiana, tanto che, se oggi volessimo scrivere il soprannome Scaevola come lo pronunciavano i latini, dovremmo ricorrere al suono k e scrivere Skaevola.
Google translate:
Scioli would seem from the province of Isernia, Monteroduni, with strains even in Isernia, in Guardiagrele and Miglianico in teatino and Pescara and Rome, could result from a nickname originated from the word medieval sciolus (sapientone), perhaps to emphasize a behavioral characteristic of founder, according to some it derives instead dall'agnomen (nickname) Latin Scaevola, which in turn is a diminutive of the Latin scaevus (left, left), but it is unlikely a transformation of this kind, as the Latin pronunciation of this was agnomen very different from the Italian, so that, if today we were to write the nickname Scaevola as pronounced it in Latin, we should resort to the sound ke write Skaevola.
When I google sciolus, saputello or sapientone, they apparently mean smart-a$$! Seriously? lol
DanceDiva234
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Re: Surname Meanings- What do your Surnames Mean?

Post by DanceDiva234 »

ROTFL! Who knows, your ancestors may personality really gave you meaning to their names. I need to check out that website. Your surnames are really interesting and I've never heard of them.

Thank you Tessa for the links!
Family names: D'Attellis, Angelicola, Iarezza, Messineo, La Monica, Spero, Angelini
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