Surname Ancona
Origin and meaning
The authors agree that the surname was formed from the place name Ancona and its corresponding gentilic.
E. De Felice specifies that it has as its base the place name Ancona, capital of the Marche, and the gentilic Anconetano ("inhabitant of Ancona"). He notes that it is a surname common, but not exclusive, to Jews, adopted by many Jewish families who, between the 17th and 18th centuries, forced by the Papal State to abandon their old residences in central Italy, concentrated in the ghettos of Rome and Ancona.
De Felice adds that it is distributed in several regions and cities of Italy, but is rare, though frequent in Bari and also in Rome. He indicates that Anconelli, especially in Bologna, may be formed from the place name Anconèlla, a district of the municipality of Loiano (in the Bologna area).
E. Rossoni agrees that the surname derives from the place name Ancona and its gentilic.
Variants
Altered forms and derivatives
Geographic distribution: All of Italy (especially Bari, Rome); Jewish surname
📍 You can view how this surname is distributed in Italy: View distribution in Italy (Cognomix)
Sources
This entry of the Italian Surname Meanings dictionary is based on the following specialized onomastic sources:
- De Felice, E. (1978). Dizionario dei cognomi italiani. Milano: Mondadori.
- Rossoni, E. (2002). Origine e storia dei cognomi italiani. Retrieved from https://www.cognomiitaliani.org