Indovino
This form is a variant of the surname Indovina.
Origin and meaning
The authors agree that this surname derives from the trade or figure of the fortune-teller or sorcerer. V. Blunda specifies that it is a Sicilian surname of dialect origin, from the Sicilian word 'nduvìna, meaning "sorceress, witch, fortune-teller". He notes that this figure was common in Sicilian popular culture until modern times, and that the surname may have originated in a nickname applied to a woman renowned for her divinatory arts or for the use of charms and home remedies.
E. Rossoni supplies the geographical distribution of the surname and its variants. He indicates that Indovina is characteristic of the Palermo area —especially in Termini Imerese and Palermo—, with an isolated presence in Niscemi, in the Caltanissetta area, and in Catania. The variant Indovino is found in Valguarnera Caropepe, in the Enna area, as well as in Ramacca and Catania, in the Catania area, and in Mistretta, in the Messina area. The variant Indovini is very rare and has a small area in Bologna.
Variants
Geographic distribution: Indovina: characteristic of the Palermo area (Termini Imerese and Palermo), with a small pocket in Niscemi in the Caltanissetta area and in Catania. Indovini: very rare, a small pocket in Bologna. Indovino: a pocket in Valguarnera Caropepe in the Enna area, in Ramacca and Catania in the Catania area, and in Mistretta in the Messina area
📍 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:
- Rossoni, E. (2002). Origine e storia dei cognomi italiani. Retrieved from https://www.cognomiitaliani.org
- Blunda, V. (2018). Supposte origini dei cognomi in Sicilia [Digital edition]. Retrieved from https://www.trapaninostra.it