SURNAMES IN ITALY

Modenato

This form is an altered form of the surname Modena.

Origin and meaning

E. De Felice notes that the surname derives from the place name Modena, including the altered form Módona, as well as from the demonym modenese (or modonese, "native of Modena"). It is diffused in Emilia-Romagna and in north-eastern Italy, in the regions of Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Trentino-Alto Adige, where the variants Modenato and Modonutto are proper to Veneto. He further notes that it is frequent as a surname of Jewish origin.

F. De Laurentiis agrees on the toponymic base and on its presence in Emilia-Romagna and north-eastern Italy, as well as on its frequency as a Jewish surname, without adding further information.

Variants

Altered forms and derivatives

Geographic distribution: Emilia-Romagna, Veneto (Modenato, Modonutto specific to Veneto)

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

Comparative analysis based on 2 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/