SURNAMES IN ITALY

Surname Placido

Origin and meaning

A. Bongioanni and E. Rossoni agree on the Latin origin of the surname, linked to the name Placidus.

Bongioanni identifies it as a given name of evident meaning (an auspicious name), corresponding to a 6th-century saint celebrated on 5 October. He notes that it generates no surname other than Placidi.

Rossoni specifies that it derives from the Latin byname Placidus, documented in the Carmina of Sidonius Apollinaris.

💡 The surname Placido also appears as variant of the surname Picone in other studies consulted in this project.

Altered forms and derivatives

Geographic distribution: Present in a scattered way throughout the country, with specific pockets in Rionero in Vulture (Potenza area) and Foggia

📍 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:

  • 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