SURNAMES IN ITALY

Surname Spera

Origin and meaning

E. Rossoni notes that this surname derives from auspicious names of Christian root, in use since ancient times, and places it as typical of central-southern Italy.

V. Blunda offers a different perspective from Sicily: the surname would have a dialectal origin, coming from the Sicilian word spèra, meaning "crown". The term designated the decorated hoop that adorned the head in civil and religious ceremonies of the island. As a surname, it could have arisen from a nickname applied to someone of solemn bearing or to one who had played a role of authority in a popular festivity.

The two explanations are not necessarily mutually exclusive: Rossoni's proposal points to an origin motivated by the wish for good fortune, while Blunda's refers to a specific cultural and ceremonial tradition of Sicily.

Variants

Geographic distribution: Central-southern Italy, Veneto, Pesaro area, all Italy

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

Comparative analysis based on 3 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
  • Research conducted by Surnames in Italy, the English-language project of Ancestros Italianos, based on the bibliography cited in the references.
  • Blunda, V. (2018). Supposte origini dei cognomi in Sicilia [Digital edition]. Retrieved from https://www.trapaninostra.it