SURNAMES IN ITALY

Surname Ala

Origin and meaning

E. Rossoni and V. Blunda differ on the origin of the surname.

Rossoni suggests that it derives from place names such as Ala di Stura (in the area of Turin), Ala di Trento or Ala dei Sardi (in the area of Sassari).

Blunda, on the other hand, for the Sicilian variant derives it from the Germanic personal name Alja ("other, different" or "all, whole"), linked to the Proto-Germanic root aljaz. He notes that it appears as the first element in numerous Lombard onomastic compounds. As an autonomous and short name, it is testimony to the oldest stratum of Germanic anthroponymy, prior to the development of the classic two-part names of the medieval period.

Geographic distribution: Area of Turin; Campi Salentina and Salice Salentino (Lecce); San Vero Milis (Oristano); Rome; Naples; Rapolla (Potenza); Palermo, Naro (Agrigento) and Salaparuta (Trapani)

📍 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
  • Blunda, V. (2018). Supposte origini dei cognomi in Sicilia [Digital edition]. Retrieved from https://www.trapaninostra.it