Surname Antonini
Origin and meaning
According to E. De Felice, Antola is a toponymic surname derived from Mount Antola, a prominent peak of the Ligurian Apennines located between the upper Scrivia and Trebbia valleys. The surname originally identified a person who came from, lived near, or was associated with this mountainous area. De Felice notes that the surname is particularly widespread in eastern and central Liguria and extends into neighboring parts of Emilia.
E. Rossoni agrees with this interpretation and likewise traces the surname to the oronym Antola, preserving the memory of the family's geographical origin. He distinguishes Antola from related surnames such as Antolini and Antolino, which are more likely derived from modifications of the personal name Antonio rather than from the mountain name.
Overall, Antola is a surname of geographical origin linked to Mount Antola and the surrounding Ligurian Apennine region, reflecting the ancestral homeland of the family.
💡 The surname Antonini also appears as variants of the surnames Antenucci and Antonio in other studies consulted in this project.
Geographic distribution: Antonini: very widespread in the centre-north. Antonino: mainly the Bari area, with clusters in the Brindisi area, San Severo (Foggia area), Naples area and Benevento area
📍 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 Stefani, E. (2003). Cognomi della Carnia. Udine: Società Filologica Friulana. ISBN 88-7636-018-2.
- Rossoni, E. (2002). Origine e storia dei cognomi italiani. Retrieved from https://www.cognomiitaliani.org
- Research conducted by Surnames in Italy, the English-language project of Ancestros Italianos, based on the bibliography cited in the references.