SURNAMES IN ITALY

Surname Roma

Origin and meaning

E. De Felice and F. De Laurentiis agree that the surname was formed from Rome —the capital of Italy—, as a place of residence or of origin.

Both note that in the oldest surnames Roma may also coincide with Romeo to indicate someone who has been on a pilgrimage to Rome. They add that in Emilia, where it is fairly common, it may also have as its base the place name Roma, a small centre near Collecchio, in the province of Parma.

De Felice specifies that this coincidence with Romeo occurs in the oldest non-Jewish surnames.

De Laurentiis adds that the surname is diffused sporadically throughout Italy, also among Jewish families.

Geographic distribution: Italy (sporadic; also among Jewish families); fairly common in Emilia

📍 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:

  • 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/