The Formation of Italian Surnames in the 21st and 22nd Centuries

Origins of Italian Surnames

It was in the 11th and 12th centuries that the presence of surnames emerged; many nicknames derived from certain physical attitudes, deficiencies, qualities, or a certain form of behavior by some individuals caused these nicknames to transform into surnames. In other cases, the surname originated from living near a church, a bridge, a large tree, a tower, etc. Others took their surname based on their profession, and others adopted it from the name of their father or mother. From the 17th century (not exclusively but particularly), numerous “fabricated” surnames given to foundlings originated. ¹

The birth of the surname between the years 1000 and 1200 was mainly due to two causes:

• the first was linked to the great demographic growth achieved in that period;
• the second cause, closely related to the first, was due to the demographic concentration that occurred in various places.

Considering that the surname was the instrument that allowed the identification of each individual within a certain community, it was natural for this to occur due to the strong demographic increase, which made it impossible to identify individuals as had been done before this period.

The Role of Nicknames and Parental Names

That is, each individual, in addition to their own name, was identified with a nickname or with the name of their mother or father (a custom still practiced in some valleys and hills where a person is often identified by their name and one of their parents’ names; for example: Giovanni de Antonio, Giuseppe di Teresa; or by nicknames: Pierino il Grosso, Mario il Verde, etc.). This system could work in a small community, but as it grew, this community found it impossible to identify its own individuals.

The Necessity of Official Surnames

It was at this point that the urgent need for medium and large communities to officialize the various nicknames, then transmitting them directly from father to son, became evident. The transmission of the surname through the paternal line spread in Italy between the end of the Late Middle Ages and the Renaissance (1400 – 1500), becoming mandatory after the Council of Trent (1543-1563).

Urban Concentration and Demographic Expansion

The second cause, in line with the demographic expansion and the birth of surnames, must be sought in the urban concentration characteristic of this period. It is a widespread opinion among historians that between the 10th and 11th centuries until the mid-14th century, Europe experienced significant demographic growth. According to various interpretations, the European population, estimated at forty million inhabitants at the beginning of the 11th century, had almost doubled by the beginning of the 14th century.

For Italy, an average growth of 0.26% was calculated, and beyond the numerical factor, the causes of this exceptional population surge were also observed in the increase in the extent of walls and cultivated areas. This was the stage in which large tracts of land were plowed, lagoons and swamps were drained, forests were cleared, and irrigation canals were built.

The Era of Planned Settlements – Formation of New Communities

It was the era of so-called planned settlements, numerous “Villenove” and “Villefranche” sprang up everywhere under the pressure of lords who, owning vast wild lands, decided to transform them into arable areas. This significant demographic growth consequently produced great mobility in the territories by the population; many peasants moved to cities to avoid worsening the already precarious economic conditions of families, but not only did peasants move to cities, landowners also settled in cities with their families where they saw new cultural and professional prospects.

Adoption and Evolution of Surnames

Consequently, as we could observe, very likely, the demographic impulse and concentrated growth in various places made the adoption of the surname natural and indispensable; otherwise, they would never have been able to identify themselves. A good part of the surnames we carry today has undergone, over the centuries, a certain metamorphosis which, in some cases, has made the original meaning of the surname incomprehensible.

Factors Influencing Surname Transformations

The reasons that have caused these transformations can be multiple; among others, the most important causes are frequent immigrations and emigrations caused by famines, plagues, and wars characteristic of the period under examination. Also, the numerous transcription errors carried out in different periods in both parish and municipal records.

For example, the preposition “De” which, until well into the 1600s, preceded almost all surnames, was understood as:

• descent or origin, that is: “Matteus De Rossi” meant “Matteo from the Rossi family”.
• but also indicated the father’s name: de Michelis = di Michele; De Matteis = di Matteo; De Ghiovanni = di Giovanni; De Laurenti = di Lorenzo.
• the same happened with many surnames ending in “i”: Alberici = di Alberico; Anselmi = di Anselmo; Rolandi = di Rolando; Martini = di Martino, etc.

Transcription Errors and Variations

Many transcription errors were due to the high rate of illiteracy, which, due to the poor education of the clergy, greatly affected surnames preceded by “De”. In some cases, it was directly attached to the surname (Derossi), while in many others, especially from 1700 to 1800, it was completely eliminated. The language used in the records has always been the same, and between 1600 and 1800, Latin and Italian alternated frequently.

Another common and curious error in registration consisted of putting the surname in the singular in the margin or heading of the act; the newly baptized was registered with the surname (family name) in the singular = Rosso instead of Rossi. But in the act itself, the family name was recorded in the plural.

For example:

• Heading or margin of the act: Rosso Mario
• Body of the act: “in the year of our Lord 1610, … the Rossi family presents to the presence of God a male child to whom the name Mario is given…”
• Conversely, if it was a woman, for example, Francesca, it was recorded as Rossa Francesca.

Gender-based Surname Modifications

In Northern Italy, especially in Piedmont and its surroundings, the surname always changed the final vowel based on the baptized’s gender, and this happened more or less from the mid-1700s until the stabilization of surnames.