Ciriaco
This form is a variant of the surname Quirico.
Origin and meaning
Variants: Quirici, Quirico Authors who study the surname: E. Rossoni – A. Bongioanni see sources
Information about the surname
- E. Rossoni documents the surname Quirici in Milano, Lucca-Pisa, and Rome, and Quirico in Asti and Varese. He cites medieval notarial records where the name appears (e.g., Piacenza, 1327; Gavirate, 1400), and links it directly to the cult of Saint Quiricus of Lycia, a Christian martyr from the 4th century. According to him, the surname reflects both a devotional component and a nominal evolution from the Latin Quiricus.
- A. Bongioanni, in Nomi e Cognomi, considers Quirico a vulgar or popular form of Ciriaco, especially common in southern Italy. He notes the frequent confusion between Saints Quirico and Ciriaco, which led to the emergence of numerous dialectal variants from the same root: Chirico, Cirio, Guigo, Ghigo, Chierico, Quilico, among others. Bongioanni also proposes a possible fusion with clericus (Latin for "cleric"), which would explain forms such as Chierico.
Current distribution in Italy and worldwide
The surname Quirico and its variant Quirici are found mainly in northern and central Italy, with strong concentrations in Lombardy, Piedmont, Tuscany, and Lazio. ➡️ See surname distribution in Italy Globally, these surnames appear most frequently in Italy, Argentina, France, and the United States. ➡️ See surname distribution worldwide
Related surnames
Ciriaco, Chirico, Cirio, Guigo, Ghigo, Chierico, Quilico, Clerico
Variants
📍 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:
- Research conducted by Surnames in Italy, the English-language project of Ancestros Italianos, based on the bibliography cited in the references.