Astesano is a northern Italian surname that belongs to the set of gentilic forms derived from the place name Asti. It is included within a family of variants such as Astesano, Astesani, Asteggiano, Asteggiani, Astegiano, Astegiani, Astesan, Astesana, Astezan and Astezano, all of them regional and dialectal forms indicating origin from or belonging to the territory of Asti, in Piedmont.

The etymology is clear and direct. It derives from the place name Asti, capital of the province of the same name in the southeast of Piedmont, through the medieval gentilic Astesanus or Astigianus, formed with the Latin suffix -anus, which indicates geographical provenance and is equivalent to "native of Asti" or "coming from the Asti territory".

The name of the city Asti, in turn, is related to old roots of Celtic or Ligurian origin, linked to the term ast, interpreted as "hill" or "height", in reference to its location on an elevation between the valleys of the Tanaro and Borbore rivers.

Distribution and variants

• Astesano is a minority variant of the more widespread Astigiano.
• It is documented mainly in Piedmont and in areas of Piedmontese migration towards Liguria and France.
• Its presence is limited and scattered compared with other forms of the same group.

Historical context

• The territory linked to the surname was known in medieval times as Astesana, a denomination frequent in documents of the 14th century.
• This region functioned as an identity reference for the inhabitants of the Asti area.

Summary
Astesano is a surname of gentilic origin, derived from the name of the city of Asti, which identifies those native to the Asti territory. Its formation is based on the Latin suffix -anus and forms part of a broad set of dialectal variants peculiar to historical Piedmont.