SURNAMES IN ITALY

Surname Geremia

Origin and meaning

According to A. Bongioanni, Geremia = Jeremiah is a masculine given name of theophoric character and Hebrew origin (ירמיהו Yrm'yhw, "exaltation of Yahweh" or "Jehovah has inspired", according to other translations), that is, it would be a patronymic, a surname derived from the name of the progenitor. Jeremiah is the name of several biblical figures of the Old Testament. It has spread in Western culture due to the influence of Christianity.

E. Rossoni proposes that, besides being a patronymic, the origin of the surname could be toponymic, that is, a surname derived from place names containing the name Geremia, such as the Contrada di San Geremia in Venice. Variants identified in Italy: Geremia, Geremei, Geremicca.

Altered forms and derivatives

Geographic distribution: Bologna

📍 You can view how this surname is distributed in Italy: View distribution in Italy (Cognomix)

Drawing on 3 authors, this entry presents the different hypotheses about the origin of the surname, avoiding a single oversimplified explanation.

Sources

This entry of the Italian Surname Meanings dictionary is based on the following specialized onomastic sources:

  • Bongioanni, A. (1940). Nomi e Cognomi. Saggio di ricerche etimologiche e storiche. Milano: Fratelli Bocca.
  • 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.