SURNAMES IN ITALY

Surname Settimi

Origin and meaning

E. De Felice notes that this surname may have been formed in two different ways: from the personal name Settimo, traditionally given to the seventh child, or else from a place name, since there are several localities called Settimo in different zones of Italy —among them the provinces of Turin, Milan, Venice and Cagliari—, as well as Settimello, in the Florence area.

E. Rossoni proposes a Latin etymology: the surname would derive from the name Septimius, borne also by the Roman emperor Septimius Severus (193–211 AD). According to Rossoni, Settimi is characteristic of the central strip of Italy, which covers Lazio, Umbria, the Marche and upper Abruzzo, while the variant Settimio is concentrated in the Chieti area.

Variants

Altered forms and derivatives

Geographic distribution: Italy (sporadic and rare); Settimelli proper to Florence and its province

📍 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:

  • De Felice, E. (1978). Dizionario dei cognomi italiani. Milano: Mondadori.
  • Rossoni, E. (2002). Origine e storia dei cognomi italiani. Retrieved from https://www.cognomiitaliani.org