SURNAMES IN ITALY

Surname Agresta

Origin and meaning

E. Rossoni and N. Bergamo differ on the origin of the surname.

Rossoni suggests that it may derive from nicknames linked to the Latin term agrestis ("rural", also in the sense of "rustic") or agresta ("unripe grape"). He documents the surname in the Diplomatic Code of Medieval Lombardy in 1148. In the 16th century a priest Giulio Agresta appears as parish priest of Cassacco (Udine); in the 17th century, Apollinare Agresta (1621–1695) was abbot of the order of Saint Basil the Great.

Bergamo, on the other hand, proposes a Greek origin, from the term agròs, meaning "peasant".

Variants

Geographic distribution: Area of Chieti, Salerno, southern Calabria and eastern Sicily (Agresta); area of Bologna, Florence, lower Lazio, Salerno and Bari (Agresti); Lazio (Agrestini)

📍 You can view how this surname is distributed in Italy: View distribution in Italy (Cognomix)

Comparative analysis based on 2 authors: where they agree, the hypothesis is strengthened; where they differ, the alternative interpretations are presented.

Sources

This entry of the Italian Surname Meanings dictionary is based on the following specialized onomastic sources:

  • Rossoni, E. (2002). Origine e storia dei cognomi italiani. Retrieved from https://www.cognomiitaliani.org
  • Bergamo, N. (2013, May 21). Impero Romano d'Oriente 330–1453 la sua storia. Retrieved January 19, 2021, from https://www.imperobizantino.it/