SURNAMES IN ITALY

Surname Amabile

Origin and meaning

It has as its base the name Amàbile, a continuation of the Latin Amabilis, from amare ("to love"), with the Christian meaning of "worthy of being loved by God". The name, fixed as predominantly feminine by the Marian epithet Mater amabilis, was frequent in Friuli and other areas of Italy and France. From the variant Amabilia derive forms such as Billia, Biletti and Bilotti in Piedmont. Bongioanni notes that the Piedmontese surname Biglia, documented in the areas of Biella and Mondovì, may derive from this name although it is also possible that it has its origin in an independent nickname.

💡 The surname Amabile also appears as variant of the surname Amadori in other studies consulted in this project.

Variants

Altered forms and derivatives

Geographic distribution: Naples; Friuli, Piedmont for forms derived from Amabilia

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

This entry brings together what 2 authors propose about the origin of the surname. In some cases they agree and reinforce a single hypothesis; in others, they contribute different views worth considering.

Sources

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

  • Bongioanni, A. (1940). Nomi e Cognomi. Saggio di ricerche etimologiche e storiche. Milano: Fratelli Bocca.
  • De Felice, E. (1978). Dizionario dei cognomi italiani. Milano: Mondadori.