SURNAMES IN ITALY

Surname Lauria

Origin and meaning

E. De Felice notes that this surname derives from the place name Lauria, a locality in the province of Potenza, in Basilicata, and from its corresponding demonym. Its presence is concentrated mainly in Basilicata, Calabria and Sicily.

E. Rossoni agrees with that toponymic etymology and broadens the geographical distribution to southern Italy, also including Campania. Rossoni further supplies a notable historical testimony: the admiral Ruggiero Lauria, who at the head of the Sicilian fleet defeated Charles of Anjou in 1284, constitutes one of the earliest documented records of this surname.

💡 The surname Lauria also appears as variant of the surname Laurito; also altered form of the surname Loria in other studies consulted in this project.

Altered forms and derivatives

Geographic distribution: Basilicata, Calabria, Sicily

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

This entry brings together what 2 authors propose about the origin of the surname. In some cases they agree and reinforce a single hypothesis; in others, they contribute different views worth considering.

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