SURNAMES IN ITALY

Surname Gornati

Origin and meaning

The authors agree that the surname has a toponymic origin, derived from the place Gornate Olona, in the province of Varese. E. De Felice broadens this base and notes that the surname is proper to upper Lombardy, and that its formation is also linked to the place names Gornate Superiore and Gornate Inferiore, localities likewise situated in the Varese area.

E. Rossoni specifies the geographical distribution of the surname, indicating that it is typical of the area north of Milan and of the southernmost part of the Varese area.

Geographic distribution: Upper Lombardy

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

Drawing on 2 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:

  • De Felice, E. (1978). Dizionario dei cognomi italiani. Milano: Mondadori.
  • Rossoni, E. (2002). Origine e storia dei cognomi italiani. Retrieved from https://www.cognomiitaliani.org