SURNAMES IN ITALY

Surname Mondadori

Origin and meaning

As noted in connection with the Italian surnames derived from occupations, in many cases the meaning of a surname refers to trades that no longer exist. This is the case of the Mondadori, who were those who "cleaned" (mondare = to weed) the fields (or the rice paddies) of weeds, or who washed wool and cloth.

Mondadori comes from the Italian mondatore, which means "weeder" or "one who clears the field of weeds"; an occupational surname, linked to agricultural labour, typically of those who worked clearing rice paddies or removing impurities from the produce of the field.

Geographical origin

  • Italy, especially the region of Lombardy and the province of Mantua, with a high concentration in localities such as Piubega.
  • Emilia-Romagna, Lazio, Piedmont and Veneto.

Geographic distribution: Western Veneto, Lombardy, Emilia

📍 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.
  • Research conducted by Surnames in Italy, the English-language project of Ancestros Italianos, based on the bibliography cited in the references.