SURNAMES IN ITALY

Surname Mariani

Origin and meaning

The surname is found throughout continental Italy, with the greatest frequency in Lombardy, in Emilia and in Tuscany. It has as its base the name Mariano, which continues the Latin cognomen Marianus, derived from Marius, an old nomen of Etruscan origin.

The establishment of the name Mariano, sustained by the cult of Saint Marianus the martyr, was influenced by the para-etymological connection with the adjective mariano, "of the Virgin Mary".

In Lombardy, however, Mariani often reflects the place name Mariano, found in the Bergamo and Como areas.

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

Altered forms and derivatives

Geographic distribution: Continental Italy; greatest frequency in Lombardy, Emilia and Tuscany

📍 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:

  • De Felice, E. (1978). Dizionario dei cognomi italiani. Milano: Mondadori.
  • De Laurentiis, F. (2003). Cognomi occhiobellesi. Storia, curiosità, significati e classifiche. Occhiobello: Teatro Polivalente di Occhiobello (T.P.O.). Retrieved from https://web.archive.org/web/20030516113456/http://www.comune.occhiobello.ro.it/cognomi/
  • Research conducted by Surnames in Italy, the English-language project of Ancestros Italianos, based on the bibliography cited in the references.