Bergoglio is a typically Piedmontese surname of toponymic origin, derived from an ancient place name recorded as Bergoglio or Bergolio. The surname is closely associated with the historical territory of Alessandria and the surrounding areas of Piedmont.

 Bergoglio was the name of one of the settlements that contributed to the foundation of the city of Alessandria in 1168. Medieval documents record the place as Bergoglio or Bergolium. They further suggest that the place name may derive from the personal name Bergulus, ultimately connected to the root berg, meaning “mountain” or “hill,” and therefore referring to a mountain or hillside dweller.

E. Rossoni agrees with this interpretation and also proposes a possible connection with the place name Bergolo, in the area of Cortemilia, in the province of Cuneo. He cites documentary evidence from a 1496 letter addressed to the Duke of Milan that mentions the locality of Bergolio in the Alessandria area.

The surname is concentrated primarily in Piedmont, especially in the province of Turin, with notable presence in Santena, None, and Collegno. It is also found in the province of Asti, particularly in Robella, Cortiglione, and Portacomaro, and has a smaller presence in Portula, in the province of Biella.

Taken together, the authors agree that Bergoglio is a surname derived from an ancient Piedmontese place name, preserving the memory of one of the historical settlements connected with the origins of Alessandria.