SURNAMES IN ITALY

Surname Prencipe

Origin and meaning

The surname Prencipe is of nickname origin and derives from an archaic form of principe ("prince"). On this point E. Rossoni and F. De Laurentiis agree, noting that it is a name or byname based on this term, used in different social contexts.

E. Rossoni links it with nicknames related to attitudes of superiority or to proximity to seigneurial spheres, while F. De Laurentiis adds auspicious values or references to people who stood out in celebrations or were linked to the service of noble houses. In this way, the surname reflects a symbolic or descriptive designation, later fixed as a hereditary surname.

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

Geographic distribution: The Foggia area

📍 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:

  • Rossoni, E. (2002). Origine e storia dei cognomi italiani. Retrieved from https://www.cognomiitaliani.org
  • 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/