Surname Nobili
Origin and meaning
The authors agree that this surname derives from the medieval nickname, appellative and predicate nobile, with the meaning "belonging to the nobility" or, in a broader sense, "noble in bearing, manners, actions and sentiments". Although it is diffused throughout Italy, it is notably frequent only in the region of Emilia-Romagna.
💡 The surname Nobili also appears as variant of the surname Nobilio in other studies consulted in this project.
Variants
Altered forms and derivatives
Geographic distribution: Italy; frequent only in Emilia-Romagna for Nobili
📍 You can view how this surname is distributed in Italy: View distribution in Italy (Cognomix)
This entry brings together what 2 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.
- 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/