SURNAMES IN ITALY

Surname Andronico

Origin and meaning

The authors agree that this surname derives from the Greek personal name Andronikos, Latinised as Andronicus, and that its origin is onomastic: it is a given name that became a surname.

V. Blunda specifies that the name means "conqueror of men", composed of andros, "man", and nikē, "victory", and notes that in Sicilian onomastics it entered as a Greek name transmitted by Byzantine route in southern Italy. E. Rossoni recalls two historical figures associated with the name: the Latin writer Lucius Livius Andronicus (284–204 BC) and the Byzantine emperor Andronikos II Palaiologos (1259–1332).

As for its geographical distribution, Rossoni places the surname mainly in the areas of Messina, Catania and Palermo in Sicily, as well as in Sannicola and Seclì, in the province of Lecce, in Puglia. Blunda circumscribes it to Sicily in general terms.

Geographic distribution: Messina, Catania and the Catania area, Palermo, Sannicola and Seclì (Lecce)

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

Comparative analysis based on 3 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/
  • Blunda, V. (2018). Supposte origini dei cognomi in Sicilia [Digital edition]. Retrieved from https://www.trapaninostra.it