SURNAMES IN ITALY

Surname Pirola

Origin and meaning

E. Rossoni places this surname in western Lombardy, specifically in the Milan area, in the lower part of the Como area and in the Varese area. He inscribes it within the onomastic group formed by Piroli, Pirolla, Pirolli, Pirollo and Pirolo, all diminutive and affectionate forms derived from the medieval name Piero —the medieval Italian form of Pietro, from the Latin Petrus and the Greek Pétros, 'stone'. The suffix -ola, characteristic of Lombard onomastics and of central-northern Italy, adds a diminutive and affectionate value.

A. Bongioanni adds that the surname appears both among the developments of the name Gaspare and among the variants derived from Pietro through the form Piro, so its origin must be evaluated case by case according to the genealogy of the family.

💡 The surname Pirola also appears as altered forms of the surnames Gaspare and Pietro in other studies consulted in this project.

Variants

Geographic distribution: The Milan, Como, Varese area

📍 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:

  • Bongioanni, A. (1940). Nomi e Cognomi. Saggio di ricerche etimologiche e storiche. Milano: Fratelli Bocca.
  • Rossoni, E. (2002). Origine e storia dei cognomi italiani. Retrieved from https://www.cognomiitaliani.org
  • Research conducted by Surnames in Italy, the English-language project of Ancestros Italianos, based on the bibliography cited in the references.