SURNAMES IN ITALY

Surname Vella

Origin and meaning

(Vela) Typical surname e Sicilian commune cata (Girganti).

The authors agree that this surname probably derives from an archaic form of the word bella. E. Rossoni notes that the surname is typically Sicilian and adds that in Catalan vella means "old", which suggests a possible Spanish or Catalan origin for some of its bearers.

G. P. Holmes shares the derivation from bella and notes historical links between Sicily and Malta in relation to this surname.

Geographic distribution: Specific to Sicily.

📍 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:

  • Rossoni, E. (2002). Origine e storia dei cognomi italiani. Retrieved from https://www.cognomiitaliani.org
  • Patti Holmes, G. (2018). Alla scoperta dei cognomi siciliani. Retrieved from https://www.ilsicilia.it
  • Research conducted by Surnames in Italy, the English-language project of Ancestros Italianos, based on the bibliography cited in the references.