Di Paola is an Italian surname derived from the personal name Paola, the feminine form of Paolo. The name ultimately comes from the Latin Paulus or Paullus, meaning "small," "young," or "little one."

Origin and Development

According to E. Rossoni and F. Miranda, the surname originates from the personal name Paolo or its feminine form Paola. The widespread use of these names throughout the Christian world is largely due to the influence of Saint Paul of Tarsus, one of the most important figures of early Christianity.

F. Miranda considers Di Paola primarily a matronymic surname, meaning "sons of Paola" or "descendants of Paola." In this interpretation, the surname originated from a female ancestor whose given name became the identifying family name of her descendants.

The surname may also have developed independently from certain place names, including:

• Paola and Marina di Paola (province of Cosenza, Calabria)
• Paolini (province of Trapani, Sicily)
• Colle di Paolo (province of Chieti, Abruzzo)

Distribution

E. Rossoni places the surname mainly in central and southern Italy, with significant concentrations in:

• Sicily
• Abruzzo
• Molise
• Lazio
• Campania (especially the Naples, Avellino and Salerno areas)
• Basilicata (Potenza area)
• Puglia (Bari and Foggia areas)

F. Miranda likewise considers it a predominantly southern Italian surname, with major concentrations in Campania, Puglia, Sicily, and Calabria, while also recording smaller presences in Lombardy, Lazio, Piedmont, Tuscany, and Liguria.

Summary

Di Paola is an Italian surname derived from the personal name Paola, ultimately stemming from the Latin Paulus, meaning "small" or "young." It is generally considered a matronymic surname identifying the descendants of a woman named Paola, although in some cases it may have originated from place names. Today it is especially widespread throughout southern Italy, particularly in Campania, Puglia, Sicily, and Calabria.