SURNAMES IN ITALY

Surname Lancia

Origin and meaning

The surname has as its base the medieval name Lancia, which arose from a nickname formed from lancia ("lance"), given in relation to the trade of lancer or soldier armed with a lance, or else to particular characteristics of the person. A. Bongioanni notes that it was a frequent name among the marquesses of Saluzzo and may be regarded as a reduction of Lancillotto or as a translation of some Germanic name in which the element "lance" appears. In some cases it may also be the shortened hypocoristic of Lancillotto.

The surname is found sporadically across peninsular Italy, with the greatest frequency in Piedmont, Emilia-Romagna and the Marche.

💡 The surname Lancia also appears as variant of the surname Lanci in other studies consulted in this project.

Variants

Altered forms and derivatives

Geographic distribution: Peninsular Italy, sporadic; greatest frequency in Piedmont, Emilia-Romagna and the Marche; Lombardy

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

Comparative analysis based on 3 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:

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