SURNAMES IN ITALY

Ghislani

This form is a variant of the surname Ghislandi.

Origin and meaning

The authors agree that the surname has an anthroponymic origin, that is, it derives from a personal name.

E. Rossoni notes that the surname would derive from the medieval Germanic name Ghislandus, a Latinization of the Germanic forms Guislan or Guisland, in turn variants of the names of Norse origin Wislan or Wisland. The form Ghislandus is documented in a deed of sale of 1270 in Piacenza. Rossoni adds that the variant Ghislani, practically unique, would be due to a transcription error.

The surname is held to be typical of Lombardy, with a presence concentrated in the Milan and Bergamo areas. As for the meaning of the etymon, it is proposed that Wisland would allude to "the land of the wise", a reading also taken up by Rossoni as a reference to the original Norse component.

Variants

Geographic distribution: Ghislandi, typically from the Lombardy area, is very widespread in the Milan and Bergamo areas.

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

Comparative analysis based on 2 authors: where they agree, the hypothesis is strengthened; where they differ, the alternative interpretations are presented.

Sources

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

  • 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.