SURNAMES IN ITALY

Surname Policriti

Origin and meaning

According to E. Rossoni, it would derive from the Greek name Policritos, the name of a Greek sculptor. An addition notes that the Greek adjective polikrìtos means varied or distinguished, or also rich in cereals.

Meanwhile G. Rohlfs holds it to be a surname of Greek-Byzantine origin, present in the province of Reggio Calabria (Polìstena, Rosarno); also Neapolitan, and he compares it with the ancient Greek name Polykrites. It reflects the Byzantine presence in southern Italy.

Geographic distribution: The Reggio Calabria area (especially Polistena)

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

Drawing on 2 authors, this entry presents the different hypotheses about the origin of the surname, avoiding a single oversimplified explanation.

Sources

This entry of the Italian Surname Meanings dictionary is based on the following specialized onomastic sources:

  • Rossoni, E. (2002). Origine e storia dei cognomi italiani. Retrieved from https://www.cognomiitaliani.org
  • Rohlfs, G. (1974). Dizionario onomastico e toponomastico della Calabria: Prontuario filologico-geografico della Calabria. Longo Editore. Rohlfs, G. (1984). Dizionario storico dei cognomi della Sicilia orientale: Repertorio storico-etimologico. Centro di Studi Filologici e Linguistici Siciliani.