Surname Mazzeo
Origin and meaning
The authors differ on the origin of this surname. E. Rossoni considers it typical of southern Italy and proposes that it would derive from place names such as Mazzeo, in the Messina area, or San Mazzeo, in the Catanzaro area.
P. Durante, by contrast, proposes a Greek origin, relating it to the term maza, which designated a kind of cake or bread.
💡 The surname Mazzeo also appears as variants of the surnames Mattei and Mazzo in other studies consulted in this project.
Variants
Geographic distribution: Southern Italy
📍 You can view how this surname is distributed in Italy: View distribution in Italy (Cognomix)
Drawing on 2 authors, this entry presents the different hypotheses about the origin of the surname, avoiding a single oversimplified explanation.
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
- Bergamo, N. (2013, May 21). Impero Romano d'Oriente 330–1453 la sua storia. Retrieved January 19, 2021, from https://www.imperobizantino.it/