SURNAMES IN ITALY

Surname Legnani

Origin and meaning

E. De Felice notes that this is a Lombard surname formed from the place name Legnano, a locality in the Milan area. E. Rossoni agrees with this toponymic etymology and adds that documentary traces of the surname are recorded in Milan from the 17th century, when Giulio Cesare Legnani figures among the patricians of that city. Rossoni also indicates that the variant Legnano as a surname is extremely rare and is probably due to a transcription error.

The surname is further held to be connected with a Roman predial place name, possibly related to Latin or Celtic words, although this hypothesis is not developed in greater detail. The surname is typical of the area north of Milan.

Variants

Geographic distribution: Lombardy, Milan

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

This entry brings together what 3 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
  • Research conducted by Surnames in Italy, the English-language project of Ancestros Italianos, based on the bibliography cited in the references.