SURNAMES IN ITALY

Solda

This form is a variant of the surname Soldati.

Origin and meaning

E. De Felice notes that this surname derives from the occupational name and nickname soldato, that is, "one who follows the trade or profession of arms". De Felice documents a varied geographical distribution: Soldati appears most frequently in Emilia; Solda is typical of north-eastern Italy, in the regions of Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Trentino-Alto Adige; Soldat and Soldatich correspond to the Giulian area; while Soldatini and Soldateschi are rare Tuscan forms.

E. Rossoni agrees on the origin linked to the trade of soldier or to nicknames derived from that word, but describes the distribution differently: he places Soldati mainly in Romagna, with influence in the Bologna area, and notes that Soldato, of very low frequency, appears to be typical of the Apulia region.

Variants

Altered forms and derivatives

Geographic distribution: North (Soldati most frequent in Emilia); Solda typical of the Venezie; Soldat and Soldatich Giulian; Soldatini and Soldateschi Tuscan (rare)

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

Drawing on 3 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
  • Research conducted by Surnames in Italy, the English-language project of Ancestros Italianos, based on the bibliography cited in the references.